THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO COMBINED SECOND TO EIGHTH PERIODIC REPORT UNDER THE AFRICAN
CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS AND INITIAL REPORT UNDER THE PROTOCOL TO THE
AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA
that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.’2 In this regard, discrimination is defined
as:
Affording different treatment to different persons attributed wholly or mainly to their
respective descriptions by race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other
opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status whereby persons
of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which
persons of another such description are not made subject to or are accorded
privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such
description.
16. The descriptions under section 18(3) are not exhaustive as has been pronounced by the
High Court sitting in its constitutional jurisdiction in Tseuoa v Minister of Labour and
Employment and Others that:
While admittedly the resultant discriminatory effect of section 38A (4) does not fall
within the definition provided for under subsection (3) of section 18 of the
Constitution, it nonetheless discriminatory in its effect for the reason of it being
prejudicial to a selected few such as Applicant in casu. For this reason it is not
justifiable. That may well be why even the definition itself contains the phrase ‘or
other status’ which in my opinion was meant to cover other criteria not listed
therein or which might not have been foreseeable at the time the definition was
2
Section 18(4) contains the following exceptions to the non-discrimination rule: (a) laws relating to persons who
are not citizens of Lesotho; (b) Personal law relating to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property
on death and other like matters which is the personal law of that description; (c) application of the customary law
of Lesotho with respect to any matter in the case of persons, who under that law, are subject to that law; (d) for
the appropriation of public revenues or other public funds; or (e) any other reasons justifiable in a democratic
society.
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