TEYATEYANENG — Prime Minister Mr. Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane on Sunday officially opened a three-day National Leadership and Accountability Summit. Held in Teyateyaneng, the gathering is designed to reflect on collective roles in advancing government priorities, strengthening accountability, and delivering meaningful results for the Basotho nation.

The Prime Minister remarked that the summit marks a significant milestone in implementing the commitments made to the public since his administration assumed office in October 2022.

“I made a commitment that my government will strengthen accountability in the public sector by creating a system in which performance will be measured, transparently monitored, openly reported upon, and discussed with citizens,” he highlighted.

He stressed that this commitment was subsequently reinforced during the Speech from the Throne as a central pillar of the governance and reforms agenda. He added that these initiatives are fully aligned with the extended National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP II), the African Union Agenda 2063, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Additionally, he reiterated that these frameworks provide a clear vision of the Lesotho they aspire to build—a nation characterized by effective institutions, inclusive development, responsive leadership, and an improved quality of life for all Basotho.

Mr. Matekane noted that upon launching these initiatives, his administration found that many foundational systems, policies, institutions, and legal frameworks necessary for governance were already in place. Over the years, significant efforts had been made to establish mechanisms for planning, budgeting, monitoring, reporting, and service delivery.

However, he observed with concern that while these systems existed, they were not consistently producing the level of impact, accountability, coordination, and service delivery outputs that the public expected.

“Too often, institutions worked in isolation, implementation challenges persisted unresolved, information on performance was not effectively utilized for decision-making, and accountability mechanisms did not sufficiently translate into improved outcomes,” he added.

The Prime Minister indicated that the challenge before them was not only to create new systems, but to strengthen the effectiveness of existing ones, improve coordination across government, reinforce accountability, and build a culture of performance and delivery.

“Recognizing this reality, my government embarked on a deliberate process of learning from countries that have demonstrated exceptional success in governance, leadership, accountability, and public sector performance,” he explained.

Mr. Matekane pointed to study visits, leadership engagements, and policy exchanges, including valuable experiences gained in Rwanda and other countries with recognized records of effective governance.

“We sought to understand the factors that enable government to consistently deliver positive results for its citizens,” he said.

Furthermore, he acknowledged and celebrated the strengthening of relations between the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of Rwanda. These relations, which date back to the early 1980s, have matured into a purposeful partnership rooted in shared values, mutual respect, and practical learning.

“Several lessons emerged from our engagements," the PM noted. "Firstly, transformational change requires leadership that is united with a shared vision and collective purpose. Secondly, sustainable progress depends on strong accountability systems that clearly define responsibilities, monitor performance, and ensure that commitments are translated into action.”

He further emphasized that successful governments institutionalize coordination and problem-solving across sectors and institutions, rather than allowing organizational boundaries to impede progress.

Mr. Matekane added that citizen trust is strengthened when governments communicate openly, engage meaningfully with the public, and demonstrate measurable results. These lessons, he noted, have informed ongoing government reforms and directly influenced the establishment of both this national leadership forum and the national dialogue and accountability summit.

He continued by describing the forum as a strategic platform for leadership alliances, performance reviews, coordination, and collective accountability. It provides an opportunity to assess progress against national priorities, identify implementation bottlenecks, strengthen collaboration across institutions, and agree on practical actions to accelerate delivery.

“More importantly, the forum is further intended to institutionalize a new way of working—one that places accountability, transparency, performance, and service delivery at the center of public administration,” he explained.

He urged leaders to continuously ask themselves fundamental questions regarding their commitments to the public: “Are our institutions working together? Are allocated resources being used to generate the intended development outcomes? Are the lives of Basotho improving because of the decisions we are making?” He added that such questions should guide their deliberations throughout the summit.

Their ultimate ambition, he pointed out, is to establish a sustainable national accountability mechanism that enables regular performance assessments and fosters a culture where results matter. The PM added that expectations are high for the summit to produce a national progress and accountability report, a set of strategic resolutions, measurable commitments, and a time-bound implementation framework to guide future work.

“Ultimately, the success of this initiative will not be measured by the quality of our discussions, but by the improvements we achieve in service delivery, economic development, good governance, and the daily lives of Basotho,” he highlighted.

Sharing these sentiments, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Justice Nthomeng Majara reaffirmed that the gathering testfies to their collective commitment to advancing effective leadership, good governance, accountability, and improved service delivery.

Justice Majara added that the forum serves as a valuable space to review performance against national development policies like the extended NSDP II, the government reforms agenda, and the African Union Agenda 2063, which serves as a blueprint for socio-economic transformation, political integration, and sustainable development.

The DPM stressed that the forum also acts as an opportunity to recalibrate and make good on their commitments and responsibilities, even as they approach the end of their five-year term in government. She encouraged all participants to engage openly and constructively, using the opportunity to make necessary adjustments, exchange ideas, and capitalize on their professional diversity and strengths.

Furthermore, she urged them to strengthen partnerships across ministries, reaffirming their commitment to a culture of accountability and excellence in public service. The DPM highlighted that the gathering comes at a critical time when leaders must acknowledge that the challenges facing the country cannot be addressed through a "business as usual" approach.

“The world around us is changing rapidly, and our systems, institutions, and leadership practices must evolve accordingly,” she said.

She indicated that delivering meaningful transformation requires a shift in mindset regarding how they work, live, and measure success. The DPM noted that they must move beyond merely managing processes and activities, focusing instead on achieving tangible results and measurable impact.

“Citizens are not interested in the number of meetings we hold, reports we produce, or activities we undertake," she noted. "Their interests are focused on whether their lives are improving, whether services are reaching them efficiently, and whether government interventions are producing real development outcomes.”

Drawing from international benchmarks, she explained that national transformation is entirely possible when leaders are united around common goals and institutions are structurally aligned toward delivery.

The DPM urged leaders to think strategically, act collaboratively, and lead differently. She challenged them to foster a culture of innovation, responsiveness, and continuous improvement within their institutions, while breaking down bureaucratic silos to ensure every ministry, department, and agency works toward national development goals.

She reminded the forum that the true measure of success lies not in the eloquence of their deliberations, but in their determination to translate resolutions into concrete actions that improve governance and public service.

This year's National Leadership and Accountability Summit is themed: “Building stronger communities through leadership, accountability and results-oriented service delivery.” The event has drawn cabinet members, representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and delegates from Rwanda.

The summit is scheduled to conclude on Wednesday.

Image by Government of Lesotho