Motlepu Marhakhe discusses the various entities comprising Lesotho’s police force. He focuses on the Police Inspectorate, Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) and the Police Authority who oversees both agencies. Lesotho’s police service was relatively new at the time of the interview, having been created only five years prior. Marhakhe says that the nature of policing in Lesotho has changed over time. The focus of the police has increasingly been towards community-oriented policing on account of democratic influences in Lesotho. In much of the interview, Marhakhe discusses the relationship between the main Police Authority, and the LMPS and Police Inspectorate. Marhakhe explains that the Minister does not propose policies, but rather approves or denies proposals made by the LMPS. Most of the responsibilities of the police force in Lesotho fall on the shoulders of those working in the Police Inspectorate, not the Police Authority (Minister). When given a mandate by the Police Authority, Marhakhe said that both the Police Inspectorate and LMPS regularly collaborate and discuss to form strategies.
Case Study: Reining in a Rogue Agency: Police Reform in Lesotho, 1997-2010
At the time of this interview, Marhakhe was deputy inspector at the Police Inspectorate. This agency is separate from the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS). Marhakhe had previously served as assistant commissioner of the police for LMPS. On account of his prior experience in LMPS, he was later recruited to work in the Police Inspectorate, which oversees the policing service in Lesotho.