Lesotho’s road network is deteriorating at an alarming rate, according to the Visual Road Condition Surveys of 2021, and the Road Fund is scrambling to bolster its revenue to avert a crisis.
This stark warning comes from the Fund’s recently published annual report for the 2023/2024 financial year.
The report underscores the urgent need for efficient revenue collection and smarter investments in stakeholder engagement and cost-effective initiatives to optimise the nation’s crumbling road infrastructure.
“It is estimated that Lesotho’s network requires M15 billion to transform from a very poor to very good condition,” the report states.
“To achieve this mammoth task, the Road Fund Secretariat needs to collect around M2.3 billion annually for seven years to fund road maintenance interventions, yet total annual collection is currently under M300,000,000.00.”
Lesotho’s road network, spanning roughly 9,300 kilometers, comprises arterial, urban, and rural access roads. Arterial roads connect the country’s districts and link border posts to the main network, while urban roads fall under municipal councils, and rural access roads serve local community councils.
“The network is classified based on surfacing material,” the report explains, noting that arterial and rural roads crossing multiple community councils are managed by the Central Government, while local authorities oversee roads within specific council areas.
The Roads Directorate, under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, sets national road sector policies and standards that all agencies and councils must follow.
Meanwhile, the Road Fund Secretariat has been the primary financier of maintenance projects executed by the Maseru City Council (MCC), the Ministry of Local Government, and the Roads Directorate, though these agencies remain accountable for their respective networks.
A system under strain
The report highlights additional allocations to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, particularly for its Road Safety Department, which is spearheading efforts to reduce road accidents.
The Road Fund Secretariat also continues to support comprehensive assessments of maintenance needs through the Lesotho Road Management System (LRMS).
For 15 years, the Roads Directorate has relied on LRMS to conduct road condition surveys, enabling agencies to evaluate network performance and refine planning.
“The assessment of maintenance needs in this report is based on data from LRMS,” the Fund notes, emphasising its role in tracking Maintenance Demand Costs.
Under Legal Notice 103 of the Finance (Road Fund) Regulations 2012, Section 10(1)(c), the Secretariat is mandated to review and approve funding for Annual Roads Programmes and road safety initiatives at least six months before the national budget is finalised.
However, with collections falling woefully short of the M2.3 billion annual target, the gap between ambition and reality looms large.
A race against collapse
The report paints a grim picture of a road network on the brink, with Lesotho’s economic and social connectivity hanging in the balance.
Arterial roads stitching districts together, urban streets bustling with life, and rural paths linking remote communities, all are at risk without a dramatic funding overhaul.
Authored by our expert team of writers and editors, with thorough research.
