Water For Justice

MINISTRY OF HEALTH ADOPTS MOU ON ADOPTIONS

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has adopted Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) system on adoptions which will be signed by foreign adoption agencies before the end of this month.

The MOU will allow foreign nationals through their adoption agencies to work with the Lesotho government in adopting Basotho children.
Those agencies include United States of America (USA) adoption agency, Canada, Netherlands and Sweden respectively.

Director in the Department of Social Welfare, Mrs. Limakatso Chisepo said the MOU follows recommendations made by a commission of inquiry whose task was to investigate all forms of abuse among Basotho children living in foreign countries since July 2007.

She said the commission has among others recommended that suspension of adoptions be lifted as no forms of abuse were identified by the appointed commission.

“As soon as the MOU is signed, adoptions will start with immediate effect as adoption applications are coming in large numbers from foreign countries.”

Meanwhile, reports from the Ministry of Health on adoptions show that more applications regarding adoptions come from foreigners and that children who are being adopted are newborns to 18 years.

Again, in Lesotho inter-country adoptions are governed under the Child Welfare and Protection Act No. 60 of 1980 and the Adoption Proclamation of 1952.

Under these laws, prospective adoptive parents are required to reside in Lesotho for two years before they could adopt children, and thereafter the inter-country adoptions can be processed and approved.

However, a revised Child Welfare and Protection Bill, being debated in the National Assembly, would provide for the inter-country adoptions.

The Commission of inquiry which was commissioned comprised of Justice Nthomeng Majara, Dr.Itumeleng Kimane (Lecturer at the National University of Lesotho), Reverend Ts'episo Sesioane, Chief Magistrate Moliehi Nthunya and a Private Lawyer Advocate Motsamai Tlapana.