OSISA - Lesotho

Lesotho: baseline information

Tue, 09 May 2006 14:10:09 -0400

Kingdom of Lesotho

Population [WHO 2006]: 1.8 million
Annual population growth [WHO 2006]: 0.7 %
HDI (and rank out of 177) [UN 2005]: 0.497 (149th)
Life expectancy at birth [WHO 2006]: 41 years
Currency: Loti
Main exports: clothing, wool, livestock
Capital city: Maseru
Provinces/ districts: 10 districts (Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka)

Links to more Lesotho resources

Background

Tue, 09 May 2006 11:10:56 -0400

(a) Social, economic and political

In terms of the constitution, Lesotho is a multi-party democracy. However, in practice, the country is a monarchy, which over the past decade, has been characterised by extreme political fragmentation.

A revised electoral system combining proportional representation and first-past-the-post model was used in the April 2002 election, which passed off peacefully.

Genuine multiparty democracy is needed but paradoxically small, weak political parties are beginning to mushroom.

The recent local government elections in April went fairly smoothly but more needs to be done about better representation of women and rural areas.

Rule of Law is weak and judiciary is not entirely independent.

GEM reports 81% increase in Letseng sales

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:31:27 -0500

GEM DIAMONDS REPORTS 81% INCREASE IN LETSENG SALES
Tacy - Ramat Gan,Israel
Gem Diamonds, which owns 70 percent of Lesotho’s Letseng mine, has reported an increase of 81 percent in totals sales from the mine to US$152 million for the year ending December 31, 2007. The diamond mining company says that 76,873 carats were sold from Letseng during the year, a 45 percent increase from the 52,998 carats that were sold during 2006. The Lesotho

Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP)

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:08:00 -0500

Unexpected Benefits of Lesotho Highlands Water Project
Inter Press Service (subscription) - Rome,Italy
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 30 (IPS) - The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) was conceived and built primarily to supplement the water supply of the industrial hub of South Africa. The additional water has however, provided an important benefit beyond the original aims of the project -- it is reducing the salinity of the Vaal Dam reservoir.

Lesotho: ABC backs mediation efforts

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 01:32:07 -0500
Lesotho opposition backs mediation efforts
AFP -
MASERU (AFP) — Lesotho opposition leader Tom Thabane gave his backing Thursday to a bid by ex-Botswana premier Ketimule Masire to mediate an end to a standoff with the government in the troubled African mountain kingdom. Masire is due to hold talks with government and opposition figures next month in his second trip to Lesotho since the country was plunged into crisis

Vodacom reflects 4.7% growth

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 01:09:39 -0500
Vodacom hits 33 Million subscribers
MyADSL - Melville,South Africa
As at December 31, 2007, Vodacom Group recorded 33.0 million customers across its networks operating in South Africa, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho and Mozambique. This reflects a 4.7% increase in the three months since September 30, 2007. The growth in the customer base is a result of high gross

Extreme weather conditions in Lesotho

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:58:21 -0500
Lesotho Red Cross responds to severe weather conditions
ReliefWeb (press release) - Geneva,Switzerland
By Mark South In the wake of a freak tornado, the Lesotho Red Cross are stocking up on tents in case of a repeat strike. The twister which struck the country in early January is just one example of the extreme weather Southern Africa has been experiencing over the past few weeks, in many cases the

Lesotho: health cooperation with China

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:44:21 -0500
Lesotho Aims To Increase HIV/AIDS, Health Cooperation With China ...
Kaiser network.org - Washington,DC,USA
Lesotho hopes to increase cooperation with China on HIV/AIDS treatment and other health issues, Lesotho's ambassador to Beijing, Anthony Thibeli, said ... China's first medical team to Lesotho arrived in 1997, and the second

Anti-Chinese sentiment in Lesotho

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:41:08 -0500
LESOTHO: Anti-Chinese resentment flares
IRINnews.org - New York,NY,USA
MASERU, 24 January 2008 (IRIN) - For 14 years, Mathabo Mabekhla was one of Lesotho's most successful entrepreneurs. Her ladies' clothing boutique sold dresses, blouses and slacks imported from neighbouring South Africa ... dwindling

Lesotho uncovers "assassination plot"

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:34:41 -0500
Lesotho claims to uncover plot to kill ministers
Mail & Guardian Online - Johannesburg,South Africa
The government of Lesotho believes it has uncovered a plot by opposition political parties to assassinate some government ministers and business people, government spokesperson Mothejoa Metsing said on Friday ... "I have a list of the names of government ministers and some business

Rule of law under threat in Lesotho

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:15:20 -0500
Rule of law abused in Lesotho – lawyers
Legalbrief (subscription) - Durban,South Africa
The rule of law in Lesotho is under threat, having been ‘grossly violated by the state’, according to report on a fact-finding mission of the landlocked country by the Southern African Development Community Lawyers Association. In a report on its visit to the country in August 2007, it says ‘there

EU-Southern Africa EPA breakthrough

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:35:29 -0500
EU and southern African states agree trade deal
Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission and four southern African countries agreed a new trade deal on Friday, opening the way for what Brussels hopes will be a series of agreements with scores of former European colonies. In a breakthrough after five years of talks on so-called Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA), negotiators from the EU and Botswana, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho initialled deals covering trade in goods and development, the Commission said. "This is an historic step forward in the relationship between the European Union and southern Africa," EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson -- who has faced stiff criticism from aid campaigners over the EPAs -- said in a statement. "I welcome the commitment shown by both sides and the leadership shown by SADC (the Southern African Development Community) in completing these essential negotiations." Angola wanted to join the agreement "as soon as possible" while Namibia and the region's economic heavyweight South Africa "will determine their participation in the agreement in the coming days" ... The European Commission wants to formally sign EPAs with the six regions of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP) of countries before December 31. The deals are likely to be mostly interim, goods-only agreements signed at first only by subgroups in each region because of opposition from some countries ... Development campaign groups such as Oxfam have criticised the deals as unfair to the ACP countries, potentially opening up their economies to too much competition from the EU. The campaigners have accused the EU of strong-arming the ACP countries into signing the new deals before January 1. That is the expiry date of a World Trade Organisation waiver that has allowed long-standing preferential trade arrangements between the EU and the ACP to continue, even though they were ruled illegal by the WTO ...

Hunger in schools in Lesotho

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:25:32 -0500
lesotho: a desire to learn stifled by hunger
Reuters AlertNet - London,England,UK
MASERU, 20 November 2007 (IRIN) - The hunger of the seemingly healthy and well-groomed school students at Moruthane Secondary School, about 80km south of Lesotho's capital, Maseru, is at first not apparent, but as the morning progresses they become listless and their concentration lapses. Their teacher,

Profile of Letšeng la Terai mine

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 02:24:07 -0500
Letšeng la Terai mine
Mining Weekly - Garden View,South Africa
Location: The Letšeng mine is situated 70 km from Mokhotlong, Lesotho. Brief history: Operated by De Beers between 1977 and 1982, Letšeng was reopened in 2004 and acquired by Gem Diamonds in 2006. Geology: The Letšeng mine consists of two primary vertical kimberlite pipes of 17 ha and 5 ha. The two adjacent pipes

GEM Diamonds names "Letseng Legacy"

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:45:39 -0500
GEM DIAMONDS NAMES ITS 493-CARAT WHITE DIAMOND THE 'LETSENG LEGACY'
Tacy - Ramat Gan,Israel
Diamond mining company Gem Diamonds and the government of the Kingdom of Lesotho have named the 493-carat white diamond recovered in early September the “Letseng Legacy,” after its place of discovery. The diamond, ranked as the world’s 18th largest rough diamond, was discovered in Lesotho’s Letseng le Terai mine. Letseng