On behalf of the European Union Delegation to the Kingdom of Lesotho, thank you very much for your warm welcome to Mafeteng.

The European Union, which I have the honour of representing today, is a group of countries that, after two devastating wars, chose to set aside centuries of conflict and divisions, and work together to overcome their common challenges.

In the same spirit of cooperation, the European Union has established partnerships with countries around the world, including Lesotho.

Our cooperation with the people of Lesotho is wide-ranging: it goes from efforts to preserve natural resources, particularly land and water, to supporting your vision of a renewable Lesotho that relies more and more on clean energy, while creating jobs, skills, and opportunities, especially for the younger generations.

However, what lies at the heart of our partnership is the belief that none of this would be possible without strong, effective, and accountable institutions.

For this reason, at the request of our Basotho partners, the European Union has been – over the last years – a steadfast supporter of the constitutional reform process, in line with the letter and spirit of the recommendations made by the citizens of Lesotho.

This is also the reason why we gather here today in Mafeteng, to officially launch and present to you a series of new activities aimed at strengthening oversight and accountability, at increasing the efficiency of justice service delivery, as well as quality justice for all.

As my t-shirt reads:  

Ho fihlella Toka ea Boleng bakeng sa Bohle

We are here today, Bo-‘M’e le Bo-Ntate, le ba bang, because we believe that justice delayed is justice denied.

• When that happens, citizens end up losing trust in the legal system.
• Individuals who are survivors of crimes or wrongfully accused of crimes may suffer from prolonged emotional and psychological distress while waiting for their cases to be resolved.
• Legal battles can be expensive, and the cost of hiring lawyers, attending court hearings, and other related expenses can be a significant financial burden on citizens.
• When survivors see that justice is not served promptly or effectively, they may be deterred from reporting crimes, out of fear that they will not see a resolution or that they may face retaliation from the perpetrator.
• A lengthy justice system can lead to overcrowding in prisons due to long pre-trial detentions and slow court processes, resulting in harsh conditions for inmates and hindering efforts at rehabilitation.
• Delayed justice ultimately disproportionately affects marginalised communities with less resources.

The activities we are launching today will help address some of these challenges by supporting, among others:

• Stronger coordination between criminal justice actors: police officers, prosecutors, courts and correctional services;
• Increased capacity, through training and coaching for lawyers, judicial officers, prosecutors and court personnel;
• Measures to expedite the delivery of justice, including the implementation of the Speedy Court Trial Act;
• The use of standardised processing procedures to handle specific crimes, such as gender-based violence;
• The expansion of legal aid and representation for groups in most vulnerable situations (such as survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, persons with disabilities, the LGBTIQ+ communities, persons affected with HIV/AIDS).

Coming to Mafeteng is very symbolic for us because we believe that efforts to improve justice service delivery cannot succeed if they are designed and implemented far from citizens.

The current judicial system has its heart in Maseru, making it challenging for those outside the capital to enjoy the full protection of the Constitution and the laws.

Our cooperation will therefore promote the decentralisation of justice services, in particular the establishment of legal aid and probation units in the districts (in Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka and Qasha’s Nek).

The activities we launch today are also aimed at strengthening oversight and accountability, supporting the capacity of the existing “watchdog” bodies such as the Office of the Auditor General, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences, the Ombudsman, and, last but not least, the Parliament.

Accountability goes in different directions: accountability between state powers (executive, legislative and judiciary), accountability between institutions and oversight bodies, accountability between elected leaders and professional civil servants, and finally, accountability towards citizens.

Accountability is at heart of the cooperation partnership between Lesotho and the European Union too. We are here today because we want you to keep us accountable, throughout the implementation of this programme, towards its objectives and results.

The success of these efforts – Honourable Deputy Prime Minister – also depends on the adoption of the constitutional reforms, which will provide a solid framework to strengthen the independence and effectiveness of the justice system and oversight bodies.

Many of the activities foreseen by this programme crucially rely on the completion of the national reforms. Some of these activities, as well as plans for future support, are currently on hold – pending the adoption of the Omnibus Bill.

The European Union has been a strong and reliable supporter of the people of Lesotho in their constitutional reform process. We are determined to continue our support in this area in the future, if and when the circumstances will allow it.

Let me conclude by thanking all the national institutions and individuals that contribute to today’s programme launch and in particular the Ministry of Justice, Law and Parliamentary Affairs.

Allow me also to thank the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and, last but not least, Ntate Chimwemwe and Ntate Julius from the technical assistance team deployed by International Consulting Expertise.  

Kea Leboha!                   

Khotso! Pula! Nala!