Rethabile Pitso
THE Ministry of Public Works and Transport has unveiled Lesotho’s first customised number plates, with advanced security features designed to curb fraud and vehicle-related crimes.
Launching the initiative at the Traffic Department in Ha Foso yesterday, Minister of Public Works and Transport, Matjato Moteane, also announced that the validity of number plates has been extended from five years to 10 years.
At the ceremony, prominent businessman, Tanki “Tichere” Pule, became the first Mosotho to receive a personalised number plate, a historic moment marking the official rollout.
The businessman paid M2500 for the personalised plate plus the standard number plate fee of M400, bringing the total cost to M2900.
Mr Moteane explained that the idea was first proposed in 2014 but faced years of delay due to restrictive traffic laws that had to be amended before the project could take off.
“The fulfilment of this initiative has come a long way. It took years for the Traffic Act to be revised to allow enabling modifications,” he said.
The minister also said the new development was aimed at boosting the local economy by discouraging Basotho from sourcing personalised plates in South Africa.
“It came to our attention that we were losing a lot of business to South Africa because Basotho could not access personalised number plates locally. Many opted for such services from the Free State (where they bought cars) and freely used the vehicles here.”
Mr Moteane said earlier proposals suggested there would be high costs, which could discourage motorists. The government eventually settled on competitive pricing comparable to neighbouring countries.
“If we offered the service at higher costs, Basotho would still go elsewhere. We therefore decided on fair rates to avoid losing out.”
He said systems were in place to make the transition from general number plates to personalised ones seamless, including for new registrations.
The minister further explained that extending validity would reduce administrative pressure while offering convenience to motorists.
“We agreed it would be wise to integrate the validity of number plates with registration so both run concurrently. From 1 November, all issued plates — general and personalised — will be valid for 10 years.”
The new plates come with a QR pin step and tamper-proof labels that trace vehicle details. When scanned, the chip reveals ownership and registration information, even if the plate is partially damaged in an accident.
“This provides added protection against criminal activities and supports recovery in cases of theft or damage,” said Mr Moteane.
He said Lesotho had now improved its regional standing in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, with the QR security feature giving the country an edge since South Africa was still piloting the technology.
“I want to caution Basotho not to panic if South African traffic officers seem confused. Their systems might pick up our new plates, thinking they belong to South Africa. In reality, we are simply ahead of them,” he chuckled.
Receiving his plate, Mr Pule expressed pride in being the first Mosotho to own a customised plate in the country.
“This is a progressive step for Lesotho. The added security is a bonus, giving us peace of mind over our property,” he said.
