The principle of accountability, described as early as the 19th century by Alexis de Tocqueville, is central to the functioning of democratic rule. Citizens bestow legitimacy upon representatives to govern on their behalf through the process by which representatives are chosen and the “rules” they must adhere to. Accountability ensures that if elected representatives breach this mandate,
they will face consequences in court or at the ballot box. Lesotho’s turbulent recent history has been marked by crises of accountability. This dispatch uses Afrobarometer survey data to explore popular attitudes toward accountability in Lesotho. The data show that Basotho widely favour accountable
government over purely efficient government, even if this gap has been closing over the
past half-decade. Basotho affirm limits on the powers of the prime minister, who they say
should be bound by laws, accountable to Parliament, and limited to a maximum of two
terms in office. A majority of Basotho also demand public access to information held by government
agencies, even if substantial minorities doubt they could obtain such information.
