Traditional leaders continue to enjoy popular support in Lesotho, Afrobarometer survey findings show.
Traditional leaders are more widely trusted and seen as less prone to corruption than elected leaders. Indeed, a majority of Basotho would favour an even stronger role for traditional leaders, who they say look out for the interests of their communities and work in cooperation, rather than competition, with elected leaders.
In line with studies showing that traditional leaders have remained relevant in many African societies embracing democratic institutions of governance, these survey findings suggest that in Lesotho, traditional and modern systems can work in concert for the benefit of ordinary citizens.
