Lesotho held its first ever local government elections on 30 April 2005. The elections were a major step towards institutionalising grassroots democracy through direct and active involvement of Basotho in their own governance >>

Each Community Council is composed of between nine and 15 elected councillors and a maximum of two chiefs who are nominated by the gazetted chiefs in that Community Council area. Community Councils perform a range of functions as specified in the Second Schedule of the Local Government Act. In the interim phase, due to the immediate challenges posed by inadequate resources and capacities, Community Councils access staff and other resources from District Councils >>.

The thrust of local government, as envisaged by the Government of Lesotho, is to improve service delivery and bring services closer to the people . >>

Each District has a District Administrator appointed by the Minister of Local Government and Chieftainship in consultation with the Prime Minister.

The Administrator represents the interests of central government at district level. He or she is responsible for planning, the implementation of policies and controlling district operational resources; and oversees the work of all central government staff and government ministries in his or her district. The DA is answerable to the Minister of Local Government and Chieftainship on political issues and to the Principal Secretary on administrative and technical issues.

Each District also has an appointed District Council Secretary who ensures that council meetings are arranged properly, that councils run smoothly and that reports are compiled and presented.

The chief executive officer for each Community Council is the Council Secretary or, in the case of a Municipal Council, the Town Clerk. S/he is responsible for all other staff members employed by the local authority.

district administration structure.xls

district council structure.xls