It provides the legal framework for the structure of the government and lays out the rights guaranteed to citizens.
The chapter also specifies that the official languages of Lesotho are Sesotho and English.
Citizens are guaranteed the right to life, personal liberty, and equality before the law.
Additionally, the Constitution ensures freedom from inhuman treatment, slavery, arbitrary search, seizure of property, and discrimination.
Also, citizens are guaranteed freedom of movement, speech, association, and conscious.
This section specifies that these guarantees are entitled to every person in Lesotho regardless of race, sex, language, religion, political opinion, nationality, and property holdings.
First the Constitution promises that Lesotho would adopt policies aimed at promoting equality and justice.
The section furthers that the state must take “appropriate measures in order to promote equality for disadvantaged groups.” These commitments extend to protections of health, education, work opportunity, labor conditions, and the rights of victims.
Finally, the section promises to protect children, the disabled, marginalized cultural groups, and even the environment.
The chapter establishes the King of Lesotho as a Constitutional monarch and the head of state.
The College of Chiefs is tasked with managing succession and replacing monarchs after they pass.
Members to the Senate are nominated by the King, whereas the National Assembly is popularly elected through a mixed-member proportional system.
Members of Parliament must be citizens of Lesotho and speak either English of Sesotho.
Finally, it established an independent electoral commission to protect the fairness of elections.
This chapter also establishes a Cabinet of Ministers that serves to advise the King and lead Parliament.
Further sections create principal secretaries, a government secretary, attorney general, Director of public prosecutions, the college of Chiefs, and a National Advisory Planning Board.
The power to allocate land is reserved to the King, but Parliament may make provisions regulating the process.
All High Court judges are tenured and may only be removed if poor conduct is proven.
All other offices and positions created by the Constitution will be established immediately upon adoption.
Implications Many scholars consider Lesotho's Constitution as a response to South African apartheid.
They perceive the assurances of a free, equitable, just society as subtle jabs at their exclave.
The Constitution intended to establish strong national and cultural ideologies to differentiate Lesotho from South Africa, but scholars question its effectiveness.
"The Decline of Human Rights in Lesotho: An Evaluation of Domestic and External Determinants".
"Commoners, Kings, and Subaltern: Political Factionalism and Structured Inequality in Lesotho".
“The Place of the Laws of Lerotholi in the Legal System of Lesotho.” African Affairs, vol.