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
guilty of accepting bribes from various multinational companies that were attempting to
secure contracts related to the project.
ARTICLE 22: RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT
264. Although the constitutional and legislative frameworks of Lesotho do not have a specific
right referred to as the right to development, they however recognise that every Mosotho
is entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political
development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized.
The laws of Lesotho recognise the right to self-determination and to full sovereignty over
natural wealth and resources. Hence, as stated in article 21 above, when adopting laws
and policies aimed at exploring the natural resources through activities such diamond and
coal mining, construction of dams, roads, schools and healthcare facilities, the
government involves the concerned communities in order to ensure that people of Lesotho
are at the centre of the development process, and that such is aimed to improve the wellbeing of the entire population and of all individuals on the basis of their active, free and
meaningful participation in development and in the fair distribution of the resulting benefits.
265. The government ensures that development processes are informed by the people for
whom they are meant. This is done through various means including decentralisation of
power to ensure local representation as well as through public gatherings to ensure that
all people in the communities actively take part in the planning of development activities
as well as their execution.
ARTICLE 23 RIGHT TO PEACE AND SECURITY
Constitutional measures
266. Section 146 of the Constitution of Lesotho establishes the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF)
with mandate to maintain the internal defence of Lesotho while Section 147 creates the
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