The study is concerned with deconstructing the effects of patriarchal discourses on the identities of women experiencing domestic violence in marital relationships. It is explored within a feminist pastoral care framework within the Basotho culture. This is seen through the lens of Basotho culture and the Christian church as understood in an emerging postmodern culture. The study explores and deconstructs patriarchal beliefs around the identities of Basotho women experiencing domestic violence in marital relationships through discursive conversations. This study has sought to benefit any Mosotho woman who suffers under the control and abuse of her husband. The study does this by giving her a voice to deconstruct the silencing and disempowering patriarchal stories/identities. In turn it hopefully allows her to construct her own empowering preferred multiple identities without blaming anybody. However, by the very nature of this study,’ the effects of patriarchy on identities of Basotho women experiencing domestic violence in marital relations’ there was partiality and subjectivity throughout my discussions and reflections, as I found it hard to stand back from my resentment. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Library automation is approaching its 90th birthday (deduced from Pace, 2009:1), and many librarians no longer remember the inefficiencies of the manual systems that were previously in place. For some, however, automation has not gone nearly far enough. In this second decade of the new millennium some libraries in Lesotho face multiple challenges in automating their services while libraries internationally are staying relevant by rapidly adapting their services to address the needs and demands of the clients. It was anticipated that full library automation is a prerequisite for delivering 21st-century library services and the researcher embarked on a process to establish whether libraries belonging to the Lesotho Library Consortium (LELICO) have automated to the extent where they will be able to provide the services that are currently in demand. The purpose of this study was to analysewhether full library automation is indeed a prerequisite for libraries to offer the services required in the current millennium. The study focused on LELICO member libraries. Benchmarking was done with selected South African academic libraries. Data were collected by means of interviews with all respondents, namely, LELICO member libraries, librarians from South African libraries and with international system vendors operating from South Africa. The study found that LELICO member libraries are indeed lagging behindin terms of service provision. LELICO member libraries do not appear to understand; which library services are possible when state-of-the-art technology is fully implemented. The study found furthermore that the laggard status is caused by factors such as a lack of funding, too few professional staff and ineffective support from management. These and other findings helped formulate recommendations that would underpin a renewal strategy for LELICO. The proposed recommendations include that LELICO should deliver a more meaningful service to its current members. LELICO member libraries should be using technology more effectively in their operations and good relationship between a system vendor and its clients should be seen as an asset that should be maintained.LELICO should be playing a key role in making change a reality. / Information Science / M.A. (Information Science)

The study aims to assess performance of Technical Reports as a channel of information for development in the Lesotho context. It concurrently evaluates how a specialized information unit of the Institute of Southern African Studies (lSAS) has performed in its obligation to devise adequate mechanisms for managing the report literature and meeting the development-related needs of users. In order to achieve that aim, the study contextualized development as a process, state, and condition and highlighted some development indicators for Lesotho. Agriculture and gender were selected as sectors of development. Global conferences, as one of the many development strategies that generate technical reports heavily, were used as a benchmark. In the performance and impact assessment methodologies, case study techniques were applied with ISAS as a site and one unit ofanalysis. Technical Reports (TRs) on Lesotho were studied. Triangulation approaches were applied in sourcing data. The academics, information workers, government officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and aid agencies based in Lesotho were surveyed. Research questions that guided the study centred on the productivity, distribution of technical reports, their management by intermediaries, use, non-use and the effects thereon. Seven types ofTechnical Reports feature in the development process, namely Academic, Project, Conference, Survey, Enquiry, Official and Special Committee Reports. Technical Reports are produced at varying levels depending on needs and approaches to development by producers or commissioning bodies. Academic Reports are authored mostly by the academics. The Government, Aid agencies and NGOs produce widely through external consultants/experts, who utilize centres such as ISAS where commissioning bodies do not have information services. TRs productivity is high and diverse in Lesotho, but capacity to manage the output is seemingly low, and hence under-utilization results; ISAS's out-dated mission, lack of, or limited resources and dejure national support in the form of acts and statutes affect the Institute's Technical Reports' services. Production is gender biased, thus making for imbalance in reporting on development. Agriculture as a sector is heavily researched and reported about, but the benefits to the populace are either few or non-existent. Restricted materials are estimated at 30%, but most ofthe TRs are unaccounted for. Hoarding and poor records or information management leave a vacuum that leads to a duplication of previous studies and production. The study confirmed that technical reports are required by all the surveyed groups. Technical Reports are not ofa transient nature even though they reach a peak oftopicality and use at certain periods. Where the channel conveys factual data timeously, there are developmental benefits. Low or non-use is common where there are no specialized information services especially within the civil service. Such negative factors cause delays and infrequent currency, inadequate reporting and erroneous budgetary allocations, for example. Seeminglythere is no clarity on what restricted, secret and limited materials mean. Major recommendations were made. One concerned an integrated approach to managing the channel. This would involve preparing a Manual for the production of Technical Reports which would clarify how to prepare them; for instance, the caliber of personneVexperts who should author reports, the conditions to be observed, the timeliness production, reliability of data used, and centres that would be acknowledged to then qualify for commensurate financial and other support. The other proposes that the envisaged National Research Council be given the powers to enforce the guidelines ofthe manual and related functions. The last recommends assigning to the documentalistsfor classified Technical Reports, the role of managing classified items. Consideration should also be given to important issues raised in the study, being the role of Information, Communication and Technologies (lCTs), sectors of development to be attended to, training and networking in technical report\s. Further studies are also recommended mainly for the causes and effects of the closures of information services that managed technical reports' in southern Africa; longitudinal studies on the impact of non-use oftechnical reports in major sectors ofdevelopment like Agriculture; comparative studies on the impact of specialized centres in the developed and developing countries. Further action is urged under the aegis ofbodies like the Standing Conference ofEastem, Central and Southern African Librarians (SCECSAL), Standing Conference of National and University Librarians. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antiretroviral therapy program in primary health care settings in Lesotho. Mixed methods research using a convergent parallel mixed methods design was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data which were analysed during the same phase of the research process. Two groups of participants participated in the study, the registered nurse group was composed of registered nurses/midwives/nurse clinicians involved in ART service provision and the second group was composed of adults aged 18 years and older who were HIV/AIDS positive. Quantitative data had a compliance rate of 92% and it were analysed using SPSS (23). Qualitative data were analysed using constant comparison analysis and seven themes, fourteen categories and twenty two sub-categories emerged from the data analysis. Findings of the study revealed that the majority of PHC facilities were staffed by registered nurse midwives and nurse clinicians who were qualified, confident, knowledgeable and competent in the execution of duties. Generally there were a large number of patients that sought ART services which were offered on a weekly basis although there was variation in the actual number of days the services were provided. The time patients spent seeking ART services varied across the facilities and ARVs and other drugs were usually available. Challenges in the delivery of ART services included unsatisfactory staffing resulting in the provision of inadequate services and work overload, lack of knowledge of some patients, use of incentives by some partners and too many partners being involved in ART, inadequate documentary evidence and stigma pertaining to the HIV status of individuals. Furthermore, ARVs were reported to make patients feel hungry hence resulting in lack of satisfaction in ART services, ART services were inadequate due to dysfunctional equipment and some patients had been lost due to inability to screen for cancer and there was incomplete monitoring and evaluation of the ART program. However, participants in this study generally showed their acknowledgement of the ART services as they generally improved their health status despite the many challenges that were being faced. / Health Studies / D.Litt.et Phil. (Health Studies)

Scholars emphasise the pivotal role that teacher perceptions play in the success of inclusive education (IE). Using Bourdieu’s (1985-1999) three conceptual tools of habitus, field and capital as a theoretical framework, this qualitative case study was designed to investigate secondary school teachers perceptions of IE – particularly with regard to the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools in the Maseru District of Lesotho. Data were collected using rural and urban focus-groups’ interviews. After analysing the data using categorical indexing, and discourse and comparative analysis methods, seven overriding themes emerged: teacher philosophical understanding of IE, teacher inclusion experiences and challenges, teacher classroom practices, teacher opinions about IE, key elements of IE, advantages of IE, and disadvantages of IE. Both focus groups demonstrated similar, but diverse conceptualisations of IE: as an integration movement requiring students to adapt to the school environment; as a segregation movement justifying special schools for students with severe disabilities; and as an education-for-all movement requiring that schools adapt to individual learner needs. The teachers understood that IE had social benefits for learners who could not reap its academic benefits. They used their traditional nurturing approaches to teach learners with different abilities – such as by memorisation of concepts and maximising peer interactions for the purpose of peer tutoring. However, the teachers’ insistence on corporal punishment and forcing learners to speak English in schools seemed to compromise their inclusion efforts. The study also found that despite the culturally influenced, positive and nurturing instincts of teachers in relation to supporting the education of children with disabilities, they were confronted with numerous challenges. These included: lack of knowledge and skills to effectively implement IE, lack of resources, lack of collaborative support from parents and government, and lack of incentives to boost their morale. It is recommended that teachers be equipped with theoretical knowledge of IE and with practical skills to implement it. Pre-service and in-service training was recommended in this regard. It is also recommended that all stakeholders in Lesotho secondary education bring together their resources, expertise, knowledge and enthusiasm – in an effort to make IE in Lesotho both successful and sustainable. / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Thesis (M. Tech. (Biomedical technology)) - Central University of technology, Free State, 2013 / INTRODUCTION: The renal effects of Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (TDF) and antiretroviral treatment (ART) outcomes remain under-reported in African settings. The study sought to assess immunological outcomes and to compare renal function outcomes between patients exposed to TDF and unexposed patient group. METHODS: Phase 1 of the study was a retrospective case control analysis of serum creatinine data for 312 ART naïve adult patients exposed to TDF and 173 unexposed patients enrolled on ART between Dec 2006 and Jan 2011 at Roma Health Service Area in Lesotho. Sub-optimal renal function outcomes were serum creatinine clearance values <50 ml/min calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault equation. Phase 2 was based on re-sampling of the study population and analysis of CD4 counts of 516 adult naïve HIV-positive patients. Univariate logistic regression (p<0.1) and multivariate analyses (p<0.05) were performed using STATA® version 11 software. RESULTS: Overall, 153 (31.5%) patients had moderate baseline (30-60 ml/min) renal insufficiency. Renal function improved by +2 ml/min at 24 months. Almost 18% (n=312) of the patients on TDF were erroneously put on TDF. The use of TDF was a marginally significant factor (p=0.054) associated with CrCl<50 ml/min outcomes in univariate analysis but was insignificant (p=0.122) in multivariate analysis. Female gender (p=0.016), high blood pressure (p=0.009), ages over 60 (p=0.004), and underweight (p<0.001) were significantly associated with CrCl<50 ml/min outcomes. The proportion of patients who developed immunological failure in this study was low (6.8%, n=516). The mean CD4 count increased significantly after treatment (p<0.001). Baseline CD4 count below 50 cells/mm3 (p=0.049) and male gender (p=0.005) were significantly associated with sub-optimal immunological outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: TDF is a weak contributing factor associated with renal impairment outcomes compared to other variables such as hypertension, older age, underweight and female gender. More research on long term effects of TDF is recommended. Baseline renal function screening should be improved to minimise leakages of patients contraindicated of TDF. Although the patients’ immunological status generally improved, males and patients with low baseline CD4 counts should be monitored closely while on ART.

This explorative study investigated bullying in a sample of schools in Lesotho from the learner’s perspective. A review of the existing literature formed the basis for the offered description of the phenomenon. The work examined concise definitions of bullying, school violence, victim and bully. The research described various forms of bullying, reason for and possible intervention strategies. The quantitative research method was applied, which included an analysis of the data obtained from a questionnaire containing 33 close-ended questions divided into six sections: general information; observation of bullying; experience of bullying; impact of bullying; participation in bullying activities and reasons for bullying and measures against it. The questionnaires were distributed among 1 373 learners from Lesotho public schools which were used for the study. The research was brought to a conclusive end with a proposal for school bullying intervention strategies in Lesotho public schools. / Criminology / M.A. (Criminology)

This dissertation titled The History of the Catholic Church in Lesotho 1862-1989 has three chapters. The first chapter deals with the formation of the seventy-seven missions in Lesotho, and the establishment of the four dioceses of Lesotho the seventy-seven mission had all been formed during the period mentioned in the title, and those formed after appear in the appendix. The second chapter deals with the socio-political involvement of the Catholic Church in Lesotho, this part deals with the authority of the bishop and the Church government and again with the role of the bishop and his relationship to the Oblate authority. In this part four bishops are taken to illustrate this point, and this covers the period from 1930 to 1966. In short this deals with the internal affairs of the Church, and its finances. And we go on to deal with the involvement of the Church in the party politics which led to independence of the country. The last chapter deals with the church under the indigenous clergy, which actually is inculturation its problem and attempted solution. / Christianity, Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Church History)

A descriptive quantitative study was undertaken in the Leribe and Butha-buthe northern districts of Lesotho. Thirty-six trained, twenty-four untrained TBAs and nine nurses involved in training TBAs were recruited. In line with research by Clarke and Lephoto (1989:3) the TBAs were elderly females who had children of their own. In contrast with the MOH (1993: 10) where TBAs were found to be illiterate, most (93%) of the TBAs in this study had at least a primary education. The art of primary midwifery was learned through assisting with a delivery and being taught by mothers or mothers-in-law. The public health nurses conduct formal training ofTBAs in Lesotho over a period of two weeks, where subjects like ante-natal care, delivery of the baby and post- natal care are addressed. The majority (78.8%) provide antenatal care at their homes or the home of the mother. This includes palpation, history taking, and abdominal massage and health education. An important role is identifying women at risk. During labour the progress of labour is monitored and care is given to the mother and baby post-natally. Trained TBAs could identify women at risk more readily than untrained TBAs. Cases referred most frequently were prolonged labour and retained placenta. Trained TBAs practiced hygiene more often and gave less herbs than untrained TBAs. The health care system is providing support to the TBAs through training and supervision, but was found to be inadequate. Community leaders are involved in the selection of TBAs for training. Regular meetings are held with the TB As to discuss problems. Communication is one of the problems the TB As have to face, because of the long distances from health care centres. A lack of infrastructure and supplies is also of concern. It can be concluded that TBAs play an important role in maternal health care in Lesotho and are supported to a lesser degree by the health care system, which causes problems for the TBAs in their practices. It is recommended that the ministry of health becomes more aware of the need for training TBAs and that a programme for training should be more appropriate, taking cultural practices into account. / Advanced Nursing Science / D.Lit. et Phil.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, February 2015. / Due to its geographical location, poor economic situation and geological features that are characterised by mostly mountainous terrain, Lesotho is vulnerable to hazardous events associated with climate, such as drought, floods, heavy snow, and severe frost. This research explores factors underlying spatial vulnerability of places to natural hazards in south-western Lesotho. Prior vulnerability assessments in Lesotho have investigated vulnerability in terms of identifying populations that are most food insecure and vulnerable to hunger. By broadening the scope of vulnerability to include biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics, the study emphasises the concept of place vulnerability as a foundation for understanding Lesotho’s vulnerability to natural hazards. Spatial orientation of vulnerability within a geographical area provides an easy way for planners and decision makers to identify areas that may require additional resources in order to prepare for disasters. To date, no quantitatively based vulnerability assessment has been undertaken in Lesotho, so this study is one of the first to assess place vulnerability to natural hazards in Lesotho using GIS and it emphasise the role of geography of a place.