Africa-Press – Lesotho. The National Reforms Authority (NRA) ran a high-level forum from Monday to Friday last week to report on the progress registered and also to collate opinions from relevant
stakeholders on the future of the reforms body post April 30 when its timeframe is expected to end. The reforms were started in 2015 under the then NDPC.
However, they did not take long as that coalition government that was led by the then Prime Minister Hon Phakalitha Mosisili collapsed. Speaking on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Forestry, Range and Soil
Conservation Hon. Motlohi Maliehe said NRA has made a notable progress. He said: “This is a journey that we shall all complete. The good work that is done
must be finished. ” He said introspection is critical in this journey to ensure the journey goes smoothly. The Minister also thanked SADC facilitation leader for always “keeping us on our
toes”. In 2017, the roadmap was done to guide the process of the reforms process. Chief Pelele Letsoela thanked the pioneers of the reforms process from infancy stage.
The function of the reforms is to protect the voices of the masses. The NRA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Advocate Mafiroane Motanyane said through support of the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) NRA will return to Basotho in the villages and report on the progress of
the work they have done. He said: “The moment to define our course has arrived. We need to engage in uncomfortable conversations and arrive at difficult decisions to prepare Lesotho for the
future. ” Some of the proposals are that dissolution of NRA will undermine the process. Also, the future will have to be decided by all Stakeholders not government alone,
arguing they are bigger than individuals or institutions. They also proposed multistakeholder forum be called to deliberate on the future. According to the NRA’s progress report, “the Constitution is the foundation of every
piece of legislation in Lesotho. As a result, NRA decided to prioritise constitutional amendments. This strategy ensures that enabling legislation including Acts of Parliament, Policies, Codes of Conduct and Good Practice, and
other instruments will fall in place easily. ” The much anticipated 11th Amendment to the Constitution, famously known as the Omnibus Bill has been finalised and is yet to be tabled before the
parliament before the dissolution of this 10th Parliament in June. The Omnibus Bill contains about 90 amendment proposals. The Senate is currently ceased with the Referendum Bill.
The referendum issues that are currently receiving attention are the establishment of the Electoral Court, Amendment of Section 85 of the Constitution, Reclaiming of the Lesotho’s conquered territory,
the resuscitation of the position of paramount chief, division of Matsieng into two wards, powers of the King under Section 91(3), redesignation of the positions
of Chiefs of Thaba-Tšoeu and Kueneng as Principal Chiefs, referendum of on the succession of females to the Chieftainship and reviewing of sections 52 and 53 of the Constitution to allow
college of Chiefs to recommend removal of the King from Office to Parliament. Currently, the law accords the Prime Minister such powers whereas College of
Chiefs can only recommend for the appointment of the King. The referendums are expected to be conducted concurrently with the national elections slated for later this year.
The Authority has developed the Media Policy and a National Code of Conduct, Behaviour and Practice for media sector and they have both been adopted and
passed by the parliament. Not only was the NRA mandated to reform laws and institutions in seven thematic areas: judiciary, parliament, economy, security, constitution, public service
and media, it has also been charged with the responsibility to propose peace architecture for the nation that will enable healing, reconciliation and forgiveness.
Progress made to this end, is that NRA had on July 21 to 23 convened a National Stakeholders Forum for Sustainable Peace. This forum saw participation from the
executive, victims of human rights violations, students, women, people with disabilities, academia, and representation from civil society organisations
(CSOs) among others. In this forum a roadmap for the implementation was developed. The
Minister of Law and Justice Advocate Lekhetho Rakuoane said there should be a clearly defined proposal that should be made to the government on the way forward.
NRA’s term was supposed to have ended after 18 months following the appointment of the Secretariat. The Authority had also projected that some of the laws will be
completed by August next year. The general attitude of the forum was that the country has not reached to the “Lesotho we want”. United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator said while there is still work to be done, delivering
the message of support is more important. The UN Resident Coordinator Amanda Khozi Mukwashi likened NRA to Thaba-Bosiu a fortress for King Moshoeshoe I where he hid from the enemies.
Thaba-Motšeare literally meaning the mountain of the day, which she said it symbolises the comfort for Basotho. “The laws if passed by parliament, implemented by different stakeholders, understood
and owned by the people and made real through the change in behaviours and mind-sets will form the mental fortress that will safeguard Basotho from this generation
to the next seven generations. “It has taken several years to bring this together to where we are now. People want sustainable peace, national unity and reconciliation.
” The reforms if successfully implemented will not easily be conquered, Mukwashi had said. She
said they will deliver protection to all Basotho alike. “Safeguarding peace is a lifelong commitment which must be passed from generation to generation,” she said.
The European Union (EU) Lesotho Charge d’Affaires David Healy said there need to be “clarity and agreement” as regards to the transitional arrangements on the work
of the reforms. “Initiatives and to progress the reforms have to have national ownership and be endorsed by national stakeholders; it cannot be imposed from outside or foreign
stakeholders,” he said. He further said the EU appeals to political players and all stakeholders to “recommit” to the reforms journey, adding that the EU can sign a reforms pledge
to “commit themselves to respecting the citizens’ voices and passing the omnibus constitutional bill speedily and all other reforms bills”. EU and UN through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had been
instrumental in supporting the work of the reforms through technical and financial assistance. NRA was established through the NRA Act No.4 of 2019. It is charged with the
mandate to coordinate, lead and manage reforms process. SADC wants Omnibus Act be passed and be presented on the upcoming Submit in August. The Submit is also expected to decide on the future of the SADC facilitation team
led by the retired South African Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke. It has two layered structure being the members of the plenary and the secretariat.
The plenary consists of 59 members, there are 35 political parties, these are all parties that had registered with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)
in 2019, 18 non-governmental organisations, three representatives of Chiefs and three representatives of the government. The NRA Chairperson Chief Pelele Letsoela proposed the establishment of the elders
club, being former Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers to play a role of advisor on the national issues and to share their wisdom and expertise on
leadership of the country. “There is a need to ensure that the process continues until it reaches its target. The process must continue to be as inclusive and as transparent as possible even beyond the NRA in order to ensure its integrity,” reads the NRA report. The NRA report for the process made was launched in this forum.
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