Lesotho amends constitution to allow for dual citizenship

Published: 2/Déc/2018
Source: The Citizen (South Africa) / Africa News Agency

Lesotho has amended its constitution to allow for dual citizenship, Lesotho Home Affairs Minister Tsukutlane Au said on Sunday.

“We have amended our constitution to allow for dual citizenship, but the target was not South Africa per say. We are targeting all the countries where we have lost Basotho as a result of dual citizenship [problems], whether they have taken American citizenship, they have taken British citizenship, they have taken South African citizenship, whether they have taken German citizenship. We are targeting all Basothos who have lost citizenship so that we can still reverse the brain drain, because we have suffered serious brain drain as a result of losing those skills,” he said.

Au was speaking in Rustenburg in the North West during a visit to inform members of the Free Basotho Movement of development in Lesotho. The Free Basotho Movement has been calling for Lesotho to be incorporated into South Africa.

He said Lesotho was unique in the sense that it was surrounded by South Africa, unlike other neighbouring countries. “We are not like Zimbabweans, we are not Zambians, we are not like Batswanas, we are totally unique when in comes to South Africa, we are in the middle of South Africa, we are surrounded by South Africa, so that means our relations with South Africa have to be very unique.”

Au said Basothos had lost their citizenship when they took out another country’s citizenship and thus Lesotho had lost a number of people they had invested in educationally.

Read further: https://citizen.co.za/news/news-africa/2044388/lesotho-amends-constitution-to-allow-for-dual-citizenship/

Themes: Double Nationalité
Regions: Lesotho
Year: 2018