The passport crisis continues in Lesotho, with a large number of people facing passport delays in Maseru, leading to people losing their jobs.

Mrs Libuseng Manki, Public Relations Officer at the Department of Home Affairs Maseru mentioned that it came to their realization as the department that the delay is caused by a higher volume of applicants from outside Maseru, leading to complaints of local residents.

The department suggests that people should apply in their own districts, aiming to ease the pressure and speed up the processing times in passport office Maseru.

Ms Ithabeleng Takatso, a resident from Qacha’s nek noted that she applied for a passport in Maseru, hoping the capital city’s office would speed up the process. However, she noted that she experienced the very same problem she met in her district, where numerous people from other areas are applying due to the district’s proximity of the border gate, planning to cross over after getting their passports.