“This paper looks at decentralisation policy in the context of Lesotho and the challenges that await local authorities. It should be pointed out that the paper recognizes the fact that there are different forms of decentralisation, namely; deconcentration, devolution and delegation. These forms of
decentralisation will not be explained nor debated here not because they are trivial but because they make no difference in terms of the gist of the paper. Emphasis is placed on the connection between decentralisation, development and conflict as a relationship that is often not clearly articulated when discussing about the decentralisation challenges. It is the understanding of the author that conflict is one of the factors that can cripple development endeavours if ignored by the decentralisation policy.”
