Minister of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police Lebona Lephema says the education sector still lags behind in fully integrating the use of legal identity in school enrollment and examinations.

He said this gap denies the country an opportunity to ensure that every child is counted and included in the education system.

It also prevents improvements in education planning and resource allocation with reliable data, guarantee equity in access to bursaries, school feeding, and other services. It further denies government the opportunity tobuild a lifelong foundation that supports learners as they transition into the workforce.

Lephema made these remarks today during the commemoration of the International Identity (ID) day2025, celebrated with the theme: ‘My Identity, My Umbrella.’

He noted that legal identity was crucial for every nation, stating that in government, it has strengthened the payroll system, eliminated ghost workers and saved public resources. 

Legal identity has also made the delivery of old-age pensions and social protection benefits more efficient, ensuring that only the rightful beneficiaries receive them, he added.

“In the financial sector and the broader private economy, legal identity has unlocked opportunities for citizens to open bank accounts, access credit, use mobile money, and participate in digital financial services. For businesses, it has reduced fraud, improved trust, and expanded financial inclusion,” Lephemapointed out.

Over the years, Lesotho has made remarkable progress in ensuring that its citizens have access to civil registration and national identity. 

Between 2019 and 2023, the birth registration rate rose from 21 percent to 61 percent, with 81.6 percent of children under five now registered. At the same time, around 90 percent of the population aged 16 and above holds a national ID card. 

“These achievements place us firmly on track to deliver on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16.9 legal identity for all by 2030,” Lephema noted.