Service Delivery, a challenge for Local government: The Case of Two Community Councils in Lesotho

Abstract

After the 2005 elections of local government in Lesotho there was hope that local government system will function in a better way than the previous trails that had failed. This article seeks to assess the decentralization process under taken in the Kingdom of Lesotho after the 2005 local government elections, whether this process has any influence in the delivery of good services to the citizens.  Challenges such as; the actual human resources based on its numbers, skills and knowledge were explored, whether there is an effort to strengthen the capacity of councilors to enable them to implement the functions of the authority properly.  The two community councils were taken as case studies on their operations namely: Manonyane Community Council and Mohlakeng Community Council in Maseru district. The two Community Councils’ secretaries and two planners were interviewed.  I argue that the councils in Lesotho do not have capacity to handle development in their jurisdictions. The councilors will also be taken as a focus group to provide information. The findings revealed that there is little autonomy at the council’s level for decision-making, raising funds and independence. Devolvement of powers has not yet taken place. They lack capacity in terms of human resources and funding, and accountability is not clear. This article concludes with the reiteration that decentralization is still has a long way to go and recommends that there is need to strengthen decentralized institutions for effective service delivery. Some specific recommendations are elaborated at the end.