Lesotho’s enabling environment for civil society remains mixed, with modest institutional openings occurring alongside intensifying restrictions on civic freedoms. Positive developments include open debates on radio about the parliamentary approval of a motion to develop a Public Participation Bill. However litigation by the Law Society threatened the constitutional amendments that expanded public participation and recognition of marginalised groups, both of which could strengthen civic inclusion if implemented meaningfully. At the same time, civil liberties have deteriorated. Journalists, editors, trade unionists, and activists have faced arbitrary arrests, intimidation, and surveillance, while opposition and labour gatherings have been met with heavy-handed security responses. Civil society continues to engage the state through policy dialogue, gender and governance programmes, and donor-supported reform initiatives, but this engagement remains selective and often tokenistic. Financially, international support, particularly from the EU, has created opportunities for service delivery and advocacy, although donor dependency and allegations of corruption within prominent NGOs have undermined public trust. Public discourse has become increasingly polarised, with sections of the political class framing independent media and civil society as politically suspect. Digital threats are also rising, including surveillance risks, online harassment, and cyberattacks targeting media actors. Overall, Lesotho’s civic space remains formally open but increasingly fragile, marked by legal opportunity, shrinking trust, and growing informal repression.
