Lesotho signs up to renewed SRHR, HIV and Aids governance project |19 February 2024

SIGNED: The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Lesotho, Honourable Tsepang Tshita Mosena (standing) watches while (from left) the Deputy President of Senate, Honourable Tsukutlane Au, the Right Honourable Tlohang Sekhamane, Speaker of the National

The Parliament of Lesotho and the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (Sadc PF) have signed an implementation agreement on the third phase of a sexual reproductive health rights, HIV and Aids governance Project.

The Right Honourable Tlohang Sekhamane, Speaker of the National Assembly of Lesotho, the Deputy President of Senate, Honourable Tsukutlane Au and the Secretary General of the SADC PF, Boemo Sekgoma, signed the agreement on February 14, 2024 in Maseru. Also present during the signing were the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Lesotho, Honourable Tsepang Tshita Mosena and Advocate Lebohang Fine Maema, clerk of the National Assembly.

The inclusion of the Senate, which will jointly implement the project with the National Assembly, is significant and is expected to boost participatory democracy in the highly traditional country in which chiefs, who make up the Senate, have immense influence.

In remarks just before the signing, Sekgoma said the third phase of the project, which is funded by SIDA and open to 15 Sadc countries, presents an opportunity for national parliaments to “change the story” in relation to SRHR, HIV and Aids governance issues.

She said: “Parliaments can change the lives of the people. In collaboration with civil society organisations (CSOs), we can change the story of governance, collaboration, accountability and oversight. Maternal mortality can be prevented.”

She noted that Lesotho was among other Sadc countries that “ably implemented the project over the past four years and shared results related to SRHR and demonstrated collaboration” with various stakeholders.

Lesotho implemented the first and second phases (2014-2018 and 2019-2023) of the project.

The second phase in Lesotho positively impacted cultural norms by prompting a shift in traditional leaders’ attitudes towards SRHR-related matters, such as initiation schools. Chiefs, as cultural custodians, began addressing SRHR concerns, particularly around the initiation of young children.

Other noteworthy accomplishments under the project in Lesotho include the enactment of the Counter Domestic Violence Act of 2022, which safeguards the rights of citizens, particularly women and children, in domestic relationships. Additionally, the Rights of Customary Widows in Lesotho were harmonised with the Legal Capacity of Married Persons Act of 2022, bolstering the economic status of widows married under customary law. The parliament also passed the Initiation School Bill, setting the minimum age for initiation at 18 years to protect children’s rights and welfare. Furthermore, the Child Protection and Welfare Amendment Bill seeks to protect children from betrothal, child marriage, sexual violence, and harmful practices.

The SG informed the speaker that Lesotho had become a focal point for SRHR advancement in the region thanks “to consolidated efforts made by your unwavering leadership as well as the administrative clarity provided by the clerk of parliament, together with the relentless work accomplished by the staff on board”.

She expressed optimism that Lesotho would operationalise and institutionalise the third phase of the project with renewed impetus “and would continue to apply social justice approaches to achieve the full realisation of resilient policies aimed at fulfilling of the tasks at hand”.

Ms Sekgoma said the third phase would build on the successes of the second phase while tackling new challenges.

“We have repeated certain interventions because the data shows that there is still a lot to be done and questions that remain unanswered. Discrimination and stigma is on the rise. Commodity security around universal health coverage remains a concern for many countries. Human rights must be center stage. There are policy and legal gaps that remain to be addressed,” she noted.

Other issues due to be addressed under the third phase of the project include gender equality; gender based violence; access to SRHR services and commodities; sexual orientation and gender identity; early and unintended pregnancies; comprehensive sexuality education; climate justice; democracy; and key populations.

Ms Sekgoma stressed that under the project, implementing parliaments would retain their agency and autonomy.

“It is entirely upon the national parliament to implement the project by laying emphasis on areas which are most relevant to the domestic context and are to be prioritised by parliament and senate MPs and policy makers. National parliament remains sovereign to implement its own SRHR agenda around the focus areas under the project,” she emphasised.

On his part, Speaker Sekhamane welcomed the project and pledged his parliament’s support as well as active involvement.

“SRHR is attached to the lives of our people. This project is one of the ways in which parliament can touch the lives of our people. We are going to discuss SRHR publicly with our people. We want Lesotho to be an example in terms of successful implementation of this project,” he said.

The SRHR, HIV and Aids governance project is in line with the Sadc PF’s new strategic plan (2024-2028) which was also unveiled in Maseru after the signing.

Speaker Sekhamane said of that strategic plan: “It really encapsulates what we want. It is our document.”

Moses Magadza