Lesotho - 43.11
117
An island within South Africa
While Lesotho is one of two monarchies in Sub-Saharan Africa, its democracy score was still well above passing and more comparable to the likes of Hungary and Moldova than Mozambique or Zimbabwe. Additionally, Lesotho received a passing score in human rights and freedom. However, holding Lesotho back from scoring among Africa’s top nations is the country’s continuous economic woes. Poverty remains rampant in the country and nearly a quarter of the country is unemployed. Furthering the problem is the fact that the Sotho economy has been struggling for three years and was sent into a tailspin by the pandemic. The health situation in the country is dire. Lesotho has one of the lowest life expectancies in the world, paired with one of the highest infant mortality rates. Less than half the country has access to clean, running water. Spelling uncertainty for Lesotho’s future is a failed coup d’etat attempt carried out in 2014 that has left a lingering effect on politics in the country. While Lesotho’s future remains uncertain, the country has a stronger foundation to build upon than most.
Human Rights - 52
Lesotho has functionally abolished the death penalty; the last execution was carried out in 1996. The Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) faced several accusations of brutality throughout 2020, most notably several extrajudicial executions and unlawful killings. No reports of police brutality by the LMPS were investigated at any point. The government has been accused of torture on several occasions. The government allegedly employed electric shocks and strangulation to attempt to coerce a police officer and his relative into confessing to arson and murder. Torture is allegedly quite common in Basotho prisons. Prison conditions in general are horrible throughout the country, severely overcrowded and lacking in medical and sanitary facilities as well as food. Arbitrary arrest is common and cases involving arbitrary arrest are only sometimes thrown out by the courts. Detainees are sometimes held without charge or trial for weeks or months. Demonstrations are sometimes violently dispersed by the LMPS. Homosexuality is legal but no other rights or protections are guaranteed. Abortion is legal to preserve the physical health of a woman as well as in cases of rape, incest, and fetal impairment.
Democracy - 66
Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy, limiting its score to 95. The King is the largely ceremonial head of state but he retains some provisions. The King can dissolve parliament on the advice of the prime minister, but an amendment is pending to change this. The prime minister is the head of the majority coalition. The lower house of parliament is directly elected while the upper house is hereditary. Eighty of the Assembly’s 120 seats are elected through constituencies while the other forty are elected through proportional representation. Twenty-two Senate seats are reserved for principal chiefs with hereditary positions while eleven members are appointed by the King. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) lacks funding but administers generally free and fair elections. The IEC struggled to administer campaign funding but did so fairly once it was able to. Lesotho sees regular peaceful transitions of power among rival parties. Sotho politics have been highly unstable since the failed 2014 coup d’etat. Politicians operate at some considerable risk to their personal safety as assassination attempts have become increasingly common since the 2014 coup attempt.
Freedom - 63
Sedition and “offenses against the dignity of the royal family” are both illegal. These laws are sometimes used to silence journalists. Demonstrations are sometimes violently dispersed by the LMPS. Journalists are sometimes subject to arbitrary legal threats by the government, leading to widespread self-censorship by the press. The Lesotho Communications Agency (LCA) has proposed regulations governing social media. They would require any account with over one hundred followers to register as an “internet broadcaster,” subjecting them to restrictions and requiring them to obtain a certificate to operate legally. All drugs are illegal in Lesotho but these laws see limited enforcement. Lesotho may issue gun ownership licenses for shotguns and revolvers.
Economy - 28
Health - 2
Lesotho has a life expectancy of 54 years and an infant mortality rate of 6.81%. 16.6% of Sotho are obese and 15.3% are malnourished. Lesotho’s weak universal healthcare system leaves much of the population outside of the capital city without adequately funded or supplied healthcare infrastructure. 47% of Sotho have access to clean, running water. Lesotho has major problems with a plethora of diseases, most notably HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Lesotho received a five-point penalty for its life expectancy being less than 60 years.
Corruption - 17
Police extortion is common at road checkpoints. Public services are difficult to obtain without bribery. Public contracts are impossible to obtain without bribery. Corruption cases rarely see trial as methods to prosecute corruption are limited and underfunded.
Competency - 10
The government is failing to provide for the people, as much of the country’s rural population is left out to dry without adequate healthcare coverage. The government is failing to control the economy as it has been in decline for several years. Disease remains rampant in the country.
Future - 45
It is unclear when political instability in Lesotho will subside. The Sotho economy has been shrinking and is not likely to rebound soon.
Actions Abroad - 60
Lesotho receives large amounts of foreign aid from Ireland and is Ireland’s largest foreign aid project on the whole. Lesotho is a satellite state of and heavily reliant on South Africa. Lesotho is heavily reliant on military aid from South Africa. Lesotho’s foreign policy is largely isolationist and it is heavily aligned with that of South Africa.
27.2% of Sotho live below the international poverty line and 49.7% live below the national poverty line. 24.65% of Sotho are unemployed. Lesotho has a high economic disparity. The minimum wage in Lesotho varies by sector with the lowest being $112 per month. While the entire population is covered by Lesotho’s universal healthcare scheme, hospitals outside the capital city are severely underfunded and undersupplied. Much of the population is reliant on the Lesotho Flying Doctor Service, travelling doctors supplying rural areas with basic and emergency care.