- About three in 10 Basotho (29%) say they tried to get an identity document, such as a birth certificate, driver’s license, passport or voter’s card, or permit from the government during the previous year (Figure 1).
- Among citizens who sought such documents: o Almost two-thirds (64%) say it was difficult to get government identity documents they needed, including half (49%) who say it was “very difficult” (Figure 2). o One-fifth (22%) say they had to pay a bribe to get the documents they needed, up from 6% in 2017 (Figure 3).
- Among the 21% of all respondents who report having requested police assistance during the past year, 12% say they had to pay a bribe to get the help they needed (Figure 4).
Among Basotho who tried to obtain an identity document from the government during the past year, most say it was difficult to get the document they needed, a new Afrobarometer study shows.
One-fifth say they had to pay a bribe to get the documents they needed.
Among respondents who sought help from the police, one in eight say they had to pay a bribe to get the needed assistance.
Amid Lesotho’s challenges with the issuing of citizens’ national identity documents and passports, these findings highlight a need to improve the government’s ability to provide these important documents when they are needed. Difficulties in obtaining or renewing such documents may encourage corruption.
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