EMMA BATHA COUNTRIES could save billions of dollars a year by tackling the "disgusting pandemic" of domestic violence, the Commonwealth secretary-general said as economists estimated the scourge cost the tiny African kingdom of Lesotho 5.5% of GDP. Patricia Scotland said domestic violence burdened health, police and judicial services, led to absenteeism at work and school, and permanently damaged children who witnessed it, impacting future generations. About one in three women in Lesotho has suffered physical or sexual violence - often by a partner, similar to the global prevalence rate, according to a Commonwealth study published on Friday. Analysts calculated this…