Urban Governance and Urban Poverty: The Critical Analysis of Basic Services Provision in Maseru, Lesotho

This article argues that with the increasing urbanization in Maseru, the postindependence urban governance fails to provide adequate basic services to the growing population particularly poor areas, thus escalating poverty in these areas. Studies show a direct relationship between urban poverty and urban governance elsewhere in Africa (Halfani, 1997; Yankson, 1995 and 2000a; UNCH, 1996; Satterthwaite, 1999 and Strenand Cameron, 2005).This study seeks to show this particular dilemma in relation to Maseru where studies of this nature have not been conducted before. The study is mainly comparative where about 60 poor households’ from poor areas of Motimposo, Sekamaneng and Thibella were compared with 60 middle-income households from Stadium area and White City in Maseru.