Chiefs, Democracy, and Popular Participation: The Case of Lesotho

Abstract

In the majority of emerging African democracies, two structures of government exist in juxtaposition, the elected and the hereditary. When governments have to make policy decisions that affect the overall governance set-up such as devolution of state power, the process becomes very complex, especially when they attempt to take on board the views of citizens in their diversity. This article seeks to demonstrate this complexity by examining the local government policy formulation and implementation processes in Lesotho. I use primary data generated from interviews with purposively selected respondents in the four councils in the Maseru administrative district of Lesotho and relevant government documents. I describe the local government policy process, focusing on the nature and role of the participation of Area Chiefs in two stages of this policy. I problematize the notion of stakeholders' participation in the public policy-making process and expose how it may have exclusionary effects on those who are otherwise real stakeholders, while at the same time serving to rubber-stamp the predetermined policy positions of those in power. I argue that, rather than promoting participation of Area Chiefs as key stakeholders in this policy, the notion has been used by the government to marginalise them.