The majority of the population
cannot afford the devices
because of the poverty levels.
Lesotho’s telecommunications
market
is
dominated
by
Vodacom Lesotho, which enjoys
80 percent of the mobile phone
market share and Econet
Liquid with a lion’s share of the
various segments of the fixed
market.

to advocate for the rights of
journalists in the country by
challenging potentially harmful
legislation.
Such lobbying culminated in
the eventual adoption of the
Media Policy and the withdrawal
of the Crime and Cyber
Security Bill 2021 on citizens,
which sought to limit citizens’
freedom in the use of social
medium platforms continues
to unsettle the media industry
and civil society. (7)

In
the
Internet
using
population,
86%
use
smartphones for access, but
the cost of devices prevents
others coming online.

SURVEILLANCE AND
PRIVACY OF ONLINE
COMMUNICATION

MEDIA REGULATION

Spirited attempts to railroad
the Crime and Cyber Security
Bill 2021, which sought to limit
citizens freedom in the use
of social medium platforms

MISA
leading

Lesotho has been
vigorous campaigns

continued to unsettle the media
industry and civil society.
In its analysis of the Bill,
MISA Lesotho warned that
the law was a huge threat to
freedom of expression, which
is enshrined in the country’s
constitution
It pointed out to possible
infringement of the right
to access to information,
especially
by
erroneous
criminalisation of what could
be ordinarily, normal access to
information activity or exercise
by members of society or the
media.
Activists warned that the
proposed law was not in tandem
with technological advances,
especially in the information
and technology sphere and
might be used to snoop on
private
communication
by
journalists
and
ordinary
citizens.

STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA REPORT 2021 39

Of those who can afford data,
86 percent access it using
smart phones. (6)

Select target paragraph3