Government Assurances Report

PARLIAMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO

SENATE

GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES

REPORT FOR GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES

COMMITTEE WITH MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, CHIEFTAINSHIP, HOME AFFAIRS AND POLICE

03/09/2024

REPORT NUMBER 04/2024

  1. INTRODUCTION

The Kingdom of Lesotho continues to face a long time passport issuance crisis due to a myriad of factors. In 2024 there was a strong expression of public disapproval, frustration and anger over non-availability of passports.

On Wednesday, 21st August, 2024,  the Minister of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police, (herein referred to as Home Affairs) Hon. Lebona Lephema delivered a Statement to the Senate assuring the revered House that his Ministry had completely solved the ongoing issues with passport processing in the country. He made a strong assertion that every Mosotho was at a stage where he could access the passport without any hindrance.

Following the Minister’s assurances in the House, Government Assurances resolved to undertake a visit to Home Affairs on the 3rd September, 2024. The purpose of the Committee’s visit was to ascertain itself that what the Minister shared with the Senate was indeed obtaining on the ground.

  • BRIEF BY DEPUTY DIRECTOR

2.1 Welcome to Home Affairs

The Committee registered its concern that neither the Principal Secretary of the Ministry nor the Deputy Principal Secretary were present to welcome them yet the Committee had written to the Ministry that it would visit on the stated date.

Upon its arrival at Home Affairs, the Committee was welcomed by the Deputy Director, Mr. Mochesela Ntisa. The Committee was advised that the Director of Passports Mr. Mpiko Rafono was not in office.

2.2 The Deputy Director’s Presentation to the Committee

In his eloquent presentation, the Deputy Director admitted that Home Affairs is still not issuing Passports to the nation timeously. He pointed to variant internal and external factors which he said contribute negatively to smooth processing and issuance of passports.

2.2.1 Internal factors

Insufficient Funds: – He stated that Home Affairs operates on insufficient funds due to low budget allocations. He cited the example of 2024/25 Financial year whereby they had requested a sum of M100, 000.00 that would be used to procure passport paper, but they were only allocated M47, 000.00 that was insufficient to address their backlog.

Delays regarding the letter of credit: – he stated that they experience about nine months delays to access funds from the Ministry of Finance due to late issuance of the letter of credit. Those delays made it hard for them to pay suppliers, hence delays on their ability to get the process of issuing passports moving.

Large backlog: – The backlog for processing of passports dates as far back as 2023 applications (and it is those applications that the said Ministry is working on. That simply meant that the 2024 applications were not yet processed). The Ministry has twelve (12) officers across the whole country that have to process applications manually. It is Mount-Moorosi and Semonkong only which offer online services.

Influx of applicants in Maseru: – The Deputy Director further bemoaned the fact that in 2024, the Maseru District had 13,000 passport applications, and on average the department receives about one hundred (100) applications even though the threshold they have set themselves is to issue 50 passports per day.

2.2.2 External factors

Non collection of printed passports and other factors: – The Deputy Director informed the Committee that Basotho have a bad tendency not to collect their passports at Home Affairs. Some come to the office to apply for new passports and never make any follow-up once those passports have been processed. Some have lost mobile phones which they had issued to the Ministry for notifications when their passports were ready, hence they don’t get notifications as a result. Some misplace their passports and come to apply for fresh ones, and by the moment they find those old ones, they do not bother to collect processed passports, and that causes a backlog of processed passports.

  • ADDRESSING THE CRISIS

The Deputy Director announced that the Home Affairs is working to address the issues.

  • Emergency Passports: he stated that the Government has implemented the issuance of emergency passports for urgent travel needs. The urgent passport costs M650-00, whilst the non-urgent passport costs M130-00.
    • Governments Efforts:- The government is working to address the issues of non-availability of passport by establishing direct relationship with supplies, and cutting the middle man.
    • Public Awareness: – The Ministry has also been encouraging the public to collect their passports from district offices to reduce the backlog.

4.0 APPLICANTS’ VIEWS

The Committee resolved to engage with the applicants who had come to the Ministry for different purposes to hear their views.

  • Economic disruptions: – the applicants stated that they had applied for passports way back in 2023, but to date they had not received them. They expressed their discomfort and shared the different impacts of the non-availability of passports. The bulk of them are migrant laborers in the neighboring South Africa, and their work opportunities are getting scanty due to lack of passports.
  • Failure to process passports for their minors: – The applicants stated that they were unable to help their children to have passport due to non-availability of their passports.
  • Disruption of Travel: – travel plans, including those for education, family matters, and tourism are being disrupted.
  • Frustration: – The situation has created frustration to the applicants, as they wait restlessly for a length of time.
  • Corruption allegations: – Frustration of not getting passports was said to have caused incidences of corruption.
  • COMMITTEE’S OBSERVATIONS

After hearing the Deputy Director’s presentations and following that up with the views of the applicants, the Committee observed that thousands of Basotho were denied their rights to passports and identity documents by Home Affairs. The Committee further learned that many of them were grounded, and either their jobs or livelihoods were at risk in one way or the other. Finally, the assurance by the Minister that it was a smooth sailing on the issuance of passports was observed by the Committee that it was absolutely a far cry.

  • Logistical challenges:- Delays in receiving passport materials and issues with internal processes have contributed to the problem of backlogs.
  • Limited Stock material versus High backlog: – The Committee noted that the current production threshold of 50 passports per day was too low and far from attaining the necessary demand leading to backlogs.
  • Delay in Passport collection: – The Committee noted that produced passports are not collected.
  • Identity cards crisis: – Non-issuance of Identity documents is further compounded by difficulties in obtaining passport.
  • The ID Department

The Committee concluded the site visit by stopping over to the ID department to make further enquiry about the non-availability of ID’s which had also been problem for citizens to acquire for the longest period of time. Mr. Napo khoele the Director of the National Identity Department indicated that they had a backlog from 2013 of about 30, 000 ID’s and in 2024 it escalated to 110, 000.

The Director assured the Committee that in cubing the said limitation they have increased their capacity of staff which escalates to all the districts. Moreover, they are going to extend the working hours, together with access points.

  • RECOMMENDATIONS
    • Dispatch of passports to community councils and Principal Chiefs’ Offices:- The Committee recommended to Home Affairs to ease collection of passports by ferrying them to the Community Councils as well as offices of Principal Chiefs’.
  • Curbs on alleged corruption: – The committee further recommended that the Ministry deploy police officers at various stations to curb corruption attempts and apprehend culprits.

7.3 Limited funding for production materials:- The Committee recommended issuance of life time Identity Documents to avoid the prevailing poor service delivery due to unavailability of funding, but the department reverted by indicating that a person’s identity changes with age, and after every 10 years the identity is never the same for every individual.

  • CONCLUSION

Subject to Standing Order 86 (1) the Committee on Government Assurances wishes to submit the report for adoption by the House.

ANNEXES

COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE

PRESENT:

Hon. Dr. T. Lebese                                                          Chairperson

Hon. S. Motsamai                                                              Member

Hon. M. Kanetsi                                                                  Member

Hon. L. Khoaele                                                                  Member

Hon. J. Motsoene                                                            Member

Hon. M. Mokhathali                                                          Member

Hon. M.T. Mohale                                                              Member

Apologies:

Hon. M. Moshoeshoe                                                       Member

Hon. M.S. Moholobela                                                     Member

Hon. T.K.T. Matela                                                             Member

ABSENT:

Hon. S.B. Seeiso                                                                  Member

Hon. M.S. Maama                                                           Member

Hon. L.M. Seeiso                                                             Member

IN ATTANDANCE

Hon. S.M.G.  Masupha                                                Senator

Hon. M. Lebona                                                           Senator

Adv. Ts’eliso Molise                                                    Clerk to the Senate

Mr. Khotso Manamolela                                            Deputy Clerk

COMMITTEE SECRETARIAT

Ms. Ntsitsa Thamae                                                     Committee Clerk

COMMITTEE PROGRAMME OF WORK

The Committee has thus far called Five (5) Government Ministries:-

  1. Ministry of Public Works and Transport
  2. Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation
  3. Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Nutrition
  4. Public Serves Commission
  5. Ombudsman

and held One(1) Site Visit to the Ministry of Home Affairs

TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COMMITTEE

  • a. There shall be established under this Standing Order a Standing Committee on Government Assurances.

b. It shall consist of nine members including the Vice-President.

c, The Vice-President shall preside over the sittings of the Committee on Government Assurance.

  • The Committee on Government Assurances mandate shall be to;
  • Scrutinize the assurances, promises, undertakings and other matters given by Ministers from time to time on the floor of the Senate and to report on;
  • The extent to which such assurances, promises, undertakings etc. have been implemented  and
  • When implemented whether such implementation has taken place within the minimum time necessary for the purpose.
  • Deliberate on tasks referred to it by the Senate, and formulate periodic            reports to be tabled by the Chairperson of the Committee before the Senate for its decision and adoption; and
  • Exercise such other functions that are not covered by paragraphs (2) a. b. and c. as may be assigned to the Committee from time to time.
  • The Committee on Government Assurances and Performance review shall have powers to;
  • Require the attendance of persons or the production of papers or records, if such a course is considered necessary for the discharge of its duties.
  • Summon a witness by an order signed by the Clerk, and shall produce such documents as are required for the use of the Committee.
  • Allow or disallow attendance of any person at its meetings in terms of Parliamentary powers and Privileges Act of 1994.
  • Have discretion to treat any evidence tendered before it as secret or not confidential.
  • Undertake fact findings trip to places to which the Committee decided to visit as part of its mandate.
  • Task Senate staff to fact find technical issues bon its behalf and adopt finding of the task team.