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Persons with disabilities to get better access to justice

✒️ Liapeng Raliengoane

MASERU – Persons with disabilities are set to have improved access to justice following a partnership between the Persons with Disability Advisory Council (PWDAC) and the Law Society of Lesotho (LSL).

The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Maseru on Monday, paving the way for the Law Society to represent persons with disabilities in disability-related cases referred through PWDAC.

The Law Society of Lesotho Deputy President Advocate Mokhoro Makara said the agreement would allow the Society to use its legal mandate to represent persons with disabilities.

“As LSL, the law allows us to appear before the courts of law, so through this MOU we will represent people with disabilities” Makara said.

He said the Law Society was proud of the initiative, describing the agreement as an important step towards supporting persons with disabilities.

PWDAC Director General Advocate Nkhasi Sefuthi said the agreement was more than an administrative arrangement between the two institutions, describing it as a practical commitment to ensuring that persons with disabilities enjoy their rights on an equal basis with others.

He said meaningful access to justice was central to the protection of human rights because rights had little meaning if people were unable to enforce them, seek remedies when their rights were violated or participate effectively in justice processes.

“Access to justice is at the heart of human rights,” Adv. Sefuthi said.

According to Adv. Sefuthi, persons with disabilities have historically faced various barriers when seeking justice, including physical barriers within courts and other justice institutions, communication barriers, inaccessible information and procedures, as well as negative attitudes and stereotypes.

He also pointed to situations where appropriate accommodations are not available to enable persons with disabilities to participate effectively in the justice system.

Adv. Sefuthi said the Persons with Disability Equity Act recognises these challenges, with Section 32 specifically providing for access to justice for persons with disabilities.

PWDAC Human Rights Manager Advocate Lerato Ramoholi said the purpose of the event was to formalise the MOU between PWDAC and the Lesotho Law Society.

She said the agreement would facilitate the handling of disability-related cases referred to the Law Society through PWDAC.

She said the partnership seeks to strengthen the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities by improving their access to legal services and enabling them to participate meaningfully in the justice system.

The Persons with Disability Advisory Council (PWDAC) is an autonomous statutory body in Lesotho established to advise the government on disability rights, monitor compliance and promote inclusion. It was formally introduced to stakeholders on 21 August 2025 by the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development, marking its operationalization under the Persons with Disability Equity Act, 2021.

The Law Society of Lesotho is a regulatory body established as a corporate body and is a non-profit organization. It was established in 1967 through an act of Parliament.

https://maserumetro.com/2026/09/16/persons-with-disabilities-to-get-better-access-to-justice/

Africa’s solar boom puts Lesotho in the spotlight

✒️ Liapeng Raliengoane

Lesotho is among a group of African countries where the rapid expansion of solar power could make a significant contribution to electricity supply, with new solar installations in 2026 projected to generate electricity equivalent to 10% of the country’s current annual generation.

The figure is contained in a new analysis by energy think tank Ember and the African Tech Futures Lab, which estimates that Africa is on course to install a record 17 gigawatts (GW) of solar power this year, a 45% increase from 2025.

Power Shift Africa says new figures show solar is becoming a major force in the continent’s energy transition.

The analysis places Lesotho alongside countries such as Sierra Leone, Togo, Somalia, Djibouti, Namibia and Liberia where solar installations are expected to make aparticularly significant contribution to existing electricity generation.

Sierra Leone records the highest projected impact, with electricity from solar installations made this year equivalent to 97% of its current annual generation, while Lesotho stands at 10%.

The findings point to a broader transformation in Africa’s energy sector, with solar increasingly being adopted not only through large-scale power projects but also by households and businesses installing smaller systems.

According to the report, about three-quarters of the solar capacity added across Africa between 2023 and 2025 came from distributed solar, predominantly smaller systems installed by households and businesses.

The researchers estimate that Africa installed about 12GW of solar in 2025, roughly twice the amount recorded by major international datasets.

Director at Power Shift Africa, Mohamed Adow said the continent’s solar transformation was already underway and called for governments and financial institutions to respond to the pace of change.

“Africa’s solar revolution is no longer something we are waiting for, it’s happening right now,” Adow said, arguing that affordable financing, stronger electricity grids, battery storage and supportive policies were needed to sustain the expansion.

The analysis estimates that the 17GW of solar expected to be installed in Africa in 2026 could generate about 23 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually.

That amount is equivalent to 2.3% of the continent’s current electricity generation and slightly exceeds Africa’s average annual growth in electricity demand between 2014 and 2024, which stood at 2.2%.

The growth is also spreading beyond Africa’s traditional solar markets. The Democratic Republic of Congo is expected to record a 544% increase in installations, followed by Zimbabwe at 282%, Egypt at 176% and Zambia at 117%.

Adow said the continent should use the growing demand for solar to develop local manufacturing, create skilled employment and support African industries.

South Africa, which has historically dominated the continent’s solar market, is expected to account for less than 20 percent of Africa’s installations for the first time since 2019.

Chief Analyst at Ember, Dave Jones, said countries were already moving towards faster and cleaner energy systems and that governments that anticipated the shift stood to benefit.

For Lesotho, the projected 10% contribution from solar installations made this year suggests the technology could play a growing role in expanding electricity supply.

However, the report also highlights a challenge facing African countries: much of the continent’s rapidly expanding solar market remains dependent on imported technology.

Africa currently imports about 94% of the solar panels it installs from China, according to the report.

African solar panel manufacturing is projected to quadruple to about 3.5GW in 2026 as new factories come online in Egypt and Tanzania, although much of that production is currently intended for export rather than African markets.

Research Director at African Tech Futures Lab, Joel Nana said, “Across Africa, distributed energy resources are rapidly expanding, in many cases, overtaking grid capacity. Policy makers need to respond to this shift. The choice now is whether these distributed assets remain a parallel power system that compensates for grid failure or are integrated in ways that unleash a wider range of benefits.”

The report, The Take-off in African Solar That Official Statistics Can’t Yet See, was produced by Ember in partnership with the African Tech Futures Lab and published on August 27, 2026.

Power Shift Africa is a Nairobi based climate and energy think tank providing policy, analysis, advocacy and communications from an African perspective.

https://maserumetro.com/2026/09/16/africas-solar-boom-puts-lesotho-in-the-spotlight/

African leaders to gather in Accra for Elevate Africa 2026

✒️ Liapeng Raliengoane

MASERU – African Heads of State, policymakers, investors, creatives and members of the diaspora are expected to converge in Accra, Ghana, next month for the Elevate Africa 2026 Convening, which will focus on turning continental ambitions into practical economic opportunities.

According to a press release issued by Elevate Africa on September 14, the two-day gathering will take place on October 28 and 29 at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel under the theme “Africa: Defining Her Future.”

The convening comes at a time when African countries are seeking to move the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) beyond an agreement and towards functioning markets, regional production networks and increased opportunities for African businesses.

The organisers say discussions will take place against the backdrop of growing efforts to deepen regional economic cooperation, including a World Bank call for a shift from trade links towards regional production hubs and the AfCFTA Secretariat’s announcement of a $5.17 billion Digital Trade Corridor aimed at strengthening digital infrastructure for intra-

The four main areas of discussion will be Trade Governance and Economic Integration; Governance, Policy and Advocacy; Youth and the Creative Economy; and the Diaspora.

Under trade and economic integration, participants will examine AfCFTA implementation, intra-African investment, digital trade, trade finance and resource governance.

The organisers say intra-African trade exceeded US$220 billion in 2024, with discussions expected to explore ways of strengthening regional value chains and retaining more of the value generated from Africa’s resources, production and markets within the continent.

Governance discussions will focus on democratic resilience, accountability, youth representation and the relationship between traditional and elected political leadership.

The youth and creative economy pillar will examine the economic potential of industries such as film, music, fashion, gaming and digital content, including challenges around financing, intellectual property, infrastructure and access to international markets.

The gathering will also feature Threads of Africa, an Elevate Africa initiative incorporating fashion film awards and seeking to showcase the cultural and economic value of African textiles, fashion, film and storytelling.

The diaspora discussions will consider how Africa can tap into the capital, expertise, networks and cultural influence of Africans living abroad, beyond the traditional focus on remittances.

Elevate Africa Convening Project Lead Joy Godwin said the continent was entering a new phase where the focus was shifting from what Africa could become to building systems and partnerships capable of delivering that future.

“The conversation is increasingly shifting from what the continent could become to how we build the systems, institutions and partnerships that will make that future possible,” Godwin said.

The convening is expected to produce the Accra Declaration, as well as strategic partnerships, investment commitments and cross-sector collaborations.

Between 600 and 900 delegates are expected to participate physically and virtually, with the organisers seeking to position Accra as a meeting point for discussions on moving African integration from aspiration to economic reality.

https://maserumetro.com/2026/09/16/african-leaders-to-gather-in-accra-for-elevate-africa-2026/

Get your latest copy of Maseru Metro: https://maserumetro.com/2026/09/16/metro-e-edition-16-september-2026/

Is This the Burial of Human Rights in Lesotho?

✒️ Liapeng Raliengoane

Perhaps the most dangerous thing about a human rights crisis is not that violations happen, it is that society slowly becomes accustomed to them.

We read about them, we discuss them for a few days, we express outrage, then another story comes along and we move on.

Lesotho finds itself at an uncomfortable moment. Within days, the country has been confronted with allegations of sexual harassment involving an officer of the Office of the Prime Minister and a member of the public, alongside the alleged abduction and torture of a journalist and human-rights defender Kananelo Boloetse.

These are separate cases and they must be investigated separately. Allegations must not be mistaken for convictions but together, they raise a question that Lesotho cannot afford to avoid: Are we witnessing the erosion of our culture of human rights and, if so, how far has it gone?

The Office of the Prime Minister’s response to the sexual-harassment allegation is important. In its September 4 statement, the Office described the allegations as serious and sensitive. It acknowledged that people reporting sexual harassment and gender-based violence can face stigma, victimisation, intimidation and further harm. It also said that the matter was brought to the attention of the Commissioner of Police, taking into account the complainant’s concerns and fears.

That is the right principle but human rights are not protected by statements alone. They are protected by what institutions do after the statements have been issued. Investigation is the beginning of accountability, not its conclusion and that is where the public interest lies.

If the police are investigating the allegation, the investigation must be credible, impartial and sufficiently transparent to inspire public confidence. If there is no evidence of a crime, that should be established through due process.

If there is evidence of a crime, those responsible must face the law. The identity, position or political connections of the person accused cannot determine the outcome. That is what equality before the law means.

While this matter unfolds, another disturbing episode has emerged. Newsday newspaper reports that its editor and human-rights defender, Kananelo Boloetse was allegedly abducted from his home in Maseru on September 5 by three unidentified men.

According to the statement by the publication, he was questioned about his journalism and human-rights work, assaulted and later abandoned in Thaba-Bosiu. The newspaper says he was also threatened with death if the incident was reported.

Those are grave allegations and they demand more than outrage on social media. They demand answers: who abducted him? Who assaulted him? Why was he questioned about his journalism and human-rights work? Was the attack connected to his work? Were the perpetrators acting alone and perhaps most importantly: who, if anyone, ordered it?

If a journalist can allegedly be taken from his home, assaulted and threatened because of the work he does, then this is not merely a personal tragedy. It is a threat to the public’s right to know.

A journalist does not surrender his human rights because he asks uncomfortable questions. An activist does not surrender his right to security because he challenges power. A woman does not surrender her right to justice because she makes an allegation against someone connected to the establishment.

An ordinary citizen should never have to calculate whether speaking out is worth the risk. This is why these cases should concern us beyond the personalities involved. The real issue is the strength of our institutions.

A country can have a Constitution that guarantees fundamental rights. It can have laws against assault, sexual violence and intimidation. It can establish institutions responsible for protecting citizens but the true test of a democracy is what happens when those rights collide with power.

Does the law protect the powerful and the powerless equally? Does a complainant receive the same seriousness whether the accused is an ordinary citizen or someone close to government?

Does a journalist receive protection when his reporting becomes uncomfortable for people in positions of influence? Does the police service investigate allegations without fear or favour?

When state institutions fail, who holds them accountable? These are not abstract questions, they are the questions that determine whether citizens trust the State.

Lesotho has lived through enough political and institutional crises to understand the danger of impunity because impunity does not begin with people openly declaring that they are above the law.

It begins much more quietly, it begins when people stop expecting anything to happen. When victims stop reporting, when witnesses become afraid, when journalists begin self-censoring, when activists decide that silence is safer than speaking, when citizens conclude that justice depends on who you are and whom you know. That is when human rights begin to die.

Not necessarily in one dramatic moment. They die slowly, through fear, silence, institutional weakness and the normalisation of wrongdoing. Perhaps that is the question Lesotho must confront now. Are we becoming accustomed to things that should never become normal?

The alleged sexual assault, the alleged abduction, the alleged torture and the alleged intimidation.

These must not become competing political narratives, they must not become am******on for partisan arguments. They must become tests of our institutions. The Government has an opportunity here. It can demonstrate that its own words about human rights, dignity and protection from victimisation mean something beyond a press release.

It can ensure that the sexual-harassment allegation is investigated properly. It can ensure that the alleged attack on Boloetse is investigated urgently and independently. It can ensure that journalists, activists, complainants and witnesses are protected from retaliation. It can make it clear that nobody, whether politically connected or completely unknown is beyond the reach of the law.

Ultimately, this is not about defending one political camp against another. It is about defending a principle.

Nobody is above the law, nobody is beneath its protection.

The question before Lesotho is therefore not simply whether human rights are being violated. It is whether our institutions are strong enough to protect them when it matters most.

Perhaps the most frightening possibility is not that human rights are already dead, it is that we are slowly becoming comfortable attending their funeral.

How much longer before we realise that we are the ones burying them?

https://maserumetro.com/2026/09/10/is-this-the-burial-of-human-rights-in-lesotho/

Film screenings expose GBV challenges in rural communities

✒️ Liapeng Raliengoane

Facilitated film screenings opened difficult conversations about gender-based violence (GBV), child marriage and sexual abuse in remote areas, according to Sesotho Media and Development (SM&D).

The organisation recently held a screening in ‘Melikane, Qacha’s Nek, where community discussions highlighted concerns around sexual offences, child marriage and the vulnerability of children in remote areas.

The recent Gender Links 2025 Indicators Follow-up Study states that women reporting lifetime experience of GBV fell from 86% in 2013 to 66.7% in 2025. That 9 out of 10 women who experience intimate-partner violence do not report it to police. Among those who do, only 15.6% see an arrest and fewer than 2% see any court outcome.

An interview with Letšabisa Malebanye, Project Manager at Sesotho Media and Development, revealed that the screenings target communities identified as having high rates of GBV, with the assistance of the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS).

“The initiative is aimed at raising awareness of the Domestic Violence Act and other laws relating to GBV, while giving communities an opportunity to discuss problems affecting them,” she said.

She added that sexual abuse remains one of the major concerns raised during the screenings as in some remote communities, children walk long distances, sometimes alone, increasing their vulnerability to perpetrators.

Another challenge is limited understanding of consent and laws protecting children from sexual abuse. Thus, communities continue to need education on children’s rights, GBV and available reporting and support mechanisms.

She said child marriage has also emerged as a significant concern, with poverty identified as one of the factors that can push families towards marrying off children as a way of reducing their financial burden.

Malebanye says the screenings are designed not merely to show films but to create a platform for communities to identify their own challenges and discuss possible solutions. “We have seen communities becoming more open and participatory in discussing GBV and other issues affecting them.”

She revealed that Sesotho Media and Development has also trained teachers and police officers through a Training of Trainers programme, equipping them with knowledge on identifying GBV, responding appropriately and referring survivors to relevant services.

That young people are being brought into the response through the Change Agents programme, which seeks to empower them to advocate against GBV, raise awareness among their peers and encourage victims to speak out and seek assistance.

She said Sesotho Media and Development also works with clinics, community structures and other service providers to strengthen referral pathways for survivors requiring healthcare, psychosocial support, police assistance or other services.

Sesotho Media and Development, with assistance from the LMPS and the Ministry of Law and Justice, including the Judiciary, Prosecution Office and Legal Aid Unit, also conducts moot court sessions based on issues raised during the screenings. The sessions are intended to help communities understand court procedures, address misconceptions about the justice system and encourage reporting of offences.

Malebanye added that beyond physical screenings, the organization uses television, radio and social media to extend conversations on GBV, sexual and reproductive health and rights, human rights and other issues to wider audiences, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

She underscored that their intervention does not end when the film screening is over. They work with communities for six consecutive months, allowing for follow-ups, monitoring and continued dialogue.

That the post-screening interventions include case management, psychosocial support, legal advice and referrals for survivors, with follow-ups conducted to ensure affected individuals are connected to appropriate services.

In a nutshell, she stressed that the overall approach is intended to ensure that concerns raised by communities are not left unresolved but instead lead to follow-up, referral, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, monitoring and continued community dialogue.

Transforming gender norms and strengthening domestic violence laws for inclusive protection across Lesotho is a project implemented by Sesotho Media and Development through the support of European Union (EU) and Brot fur die Welt.

Sesotho Media and Development is a non-profit civil society organization committed to leveraging the influential medium of film and media to initiate conversations, challenge societal attitudes and disseminate information in support of human rights.

https://maserumetro.com/2026/09/15/film-screenings-expose-gbv-challenges-in-rural-communities/