The Internal Security (General) Act, 1984 - VERTIC

1 1 The Internal Security ( general ) Act, 1984 ACT NO. 24 OF 1984 Arrangement of SectionsPART I PRELIMINARYS ection1 Short title and Suspension and revival of Part II ESSENTIAL SERVICES, SABOTAGESUBVERSION. Essential Interference with essential Contribution towards subversive Information about subversive Unlawful Offences relating to unlawful Penalties for offences under Part III DETENTION FOR INVESTIGATION OFSUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES13 Powers of arrest and detention for subversive Interim custody orders in cases of subversive Reference to Detained person's right to make Consideration of case and adviser's Detention orders in cases of subversive Release from Custody of person detained for

2 Subversive Persons unlawfully at Communication with Minister concerning Escaping from detention, IV OFFENCES AGAINST PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLICORDER, PUBLIC MORALITY AND THE RIGHTSOF PERSONS25 Going armed in public26 Offensive conduct conducive to breach of Insubordination conducive to breach of Incitement to violence and disobedience of the Intimidation or Idle and disorderly Offence to provoke breach of peace, Nuisances by drunken person, Criminal Incitement to public Consorting with a person carrying arms or Personating a public Wearing, carrying or selling- uniform, garb, or token of apublic V PROTECTED PLACES.

3 VEHICLES ANDAIRCRAFT38 Protected places, vehicles and aircraft39 Offences to approach enter or be in protected place, ve-hicle or Failure or refusal to stop and obey directions at protectedplace, vehicle or Power to stop, search and use force at protected places,vehicle or Powers relating to protected places, vehicles and Failure to stop and Offences against VI DANGEROUS WEAPONS45 Control of possession and sale or supply of Powers of Unlawful military drilling, Training in making or use of weapons, firearms, explo-sives, incendiary and corrosive Possessing explosive, incendiary or corrosive with intentto endanger life or cause injury or Possessing explosive, incendiary or corrosive for unlaw-ful Bomb with road VII CONTROL, ENTRY AND SEARCH53 Power of police in respect of Power to stop, question and arrest without Power to search for explosives, etc.

4 And radio Control of Entry to search for and rescue a person unlawfully VIII JURISDICTION, EVIDENCE ANDAUTHORITY FOR PROSECUTIONS58 Extra-territorial Evidence in proceedings of orders, Evidence of belonging to unlawful Certain prosecutions by authority of the Director ofPublic of witness under warrant issued by IX PUBLIC MEETING AND PROCESSIONS64 Application of Part Power to prevent danger or harm at meeting or Disorderly conduct and dangerous Control of processions and Power to impose Power to disapprove time or Offences in relation to meetings and Unlawful meetings and Offence to join.

5 Remain in or address unlawful meetingor Power of X SUPPLEMENTARY AND REPEALS74 Publication of Financial Power to extent definition of Amendment of Limitations of Judgements and orders not Consequential amendment, Repeal and Internal Security ( general ) Act, 1984 ACT NO. 24 OF 1984 ACT[Date of Assent: ][Date of Commencement: see section 1]To consolidate and amend the law relating to Internal secu-rity in by the I Act may be cited as the Internal Security ( general )Act, l984 and shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by andthe Minister by notice in the Minister may, from time to time, by notice in theGazette, provide that,(a) the whole of Part III which is for the time being in forceshall cease to be in force.

6 Or(b) the whole of that Part which is not for the time being inforce shall come in force (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,";:ammunition" means ammunition for any firearm as here-inafter defined and includes grenades, bombs and otherlike missiles, whether capable of use with such a fire-arm or not, and prohibited ammunition;''Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Lesotho Moun-ted Police;"dangerous weapons" means anything which is capable ifused, of causing fear or physical injury in a person,physical injury to a person or the death of a person;"essential service" means any of the following servicesoperated by any person whomsoever, wholly or in partin Lesotho;(a) any service for the supply and distribution of water,electricity, food, milk (including the care of milk cows),fuel and other essentials of life.

7 (b) public transport (including the care of any railway,road, bridle path, bridge, vessel, dam and airfield)whether by rail, road, water or air, undertakings forthe carriage of goods or passengers, for securing themeans of locomotion or transit and services for thehandling of goods;558(c) public services (including telegraph, telephone, wire-less and postal communications and the care of Govern-ment offices;(d) public health services (including the care of hospitals)night soil collection sanitary and conservancy services,town cleansing and any services required for the pre-vention or cure of disease whether in human beings,animals, or otherwise required for the health and well-being of the community;(e) any educational service including the care of anyschool, college or university;(f) a service that the Minister has declared to be an essen-tial service under the power conferred on him by section4.)

8 "explosives" means gunpowder, nitroglycerine, dynamite,tovex and other nitroglycerine admixture, gun-cotton,blasting powder, detonators, fuse and every other sub-stance used to produce a practical effects by explosionand any other substance or device declare by the Mini-ster by notice in the Gazette under section 77 to be anexplosive, other than fireworks or ammunition, gun-powder or percussion caps regulated by any other lawor fireworks manufactured for the purposes of amuse-ment;"firearm" except where otherwise expressly provided, meansany lethal barrelled weapon of any description fromwhich any shot, bullet or other missile can be dischargedand includes any prohibited weapon whether it is suchlethal weapon as aforesaid or not, any component partof any such lethal or prohibited weapon, and anyaccessory to any such weapon designed or adapted todiminish the noise or flash caused by firing the weaponand includes an air gun, air rifle, air pistol, water orspray gun.

9 "Headman" means a Headman whose office is establishedby the Chieftainship Act. 1968 or by or under any otherlaw including customary law. and references to a Head-man are references to the person who, under the law,including customary law. for the time being in force inthat behalf, is recognized as entitled to exercise the fun-ctions of the office of a Headman and includes a Chief tothe extent that he exercises the functions of a Headman;"meeting" means an assembly, concourse or gathering ofpersons pursuing a common purpose.

10 "peace officer" includes a sheriff or a deputy sheriff, anyofficer, non-commissioned officer or trooper of a policeforce established under any law or of any body of per-sons carrying out under any law the functions of a policeforce in Lesotho, a gaoler or a warder of any prison orgaol, and any chief recognised as such under "any law;6"procession" means an assembly, concourse or gathering ofpersons pursuing a common purpose which movesfrom one place to another with or without vehicles;"protected place" means a place which has been declared tobe a protected place under section 38;"protected vehicle" means a vehicle which has been declaredto be a protected vehicle under section 38;"public officer" means a person holding or acting in anyoffice of emolument in the service of the King in respectof the Government of Lesotho and includes, to the ex-tent of his authority, a person for the time being autho-rised to exercise the functions of that office;"public place" means a