Lesotho Parliament seeks to increase police budget
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The Reporter (Lesotho)
Lesotho’s parliamentary committee responsible for public safety recommends increasing the budget of the mounted police service, whose limited resources are hampering operations. Shortages of vehicles, fuel, communications equipment and personnel are said to be affecting patrols and responses in remote areas, according to its chair, Mokoena Ramakatsa.
Lesotho’s Parliament plans to recommend an increase in the budget for the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS), after its leaders reported resource shortages, The Reporter reports. Mokoena Ramakatsa, chair of the parliamentary committee responsible for public safety, said on Wednesday that these difficulties were hampering crime-fighting and law enforcement.
Shortages include vehicles, fuel, communications equipment and personnel. They complicate patrols, investigations and responses in remote areas, where police officers sometimes have to travel long distances. Ramakatsa cited stock theft in particular: without transport, officers risk arriving after suspects have left. He also criticised the poor condition of uniforms, which he said was harming police morale.
The committee made the commitment after a closed-door meeting this week with officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the police. It wants Parliament to consider additional funding in the next budget cycle. Police needs were also raised during a visit by Eswatini MPs to the Lesotho Parliament on 22 October.
