Lesotho Challenges towards meeting broadcasting digital migration deadline Lesotho lacked policy direction or a clear road map to gain resources for digital dividend transmission of television development (DDTTD) and subsequently failed to meet the international analogue switch-off deadline of 17 June 2015. To avoid cross border interference, the country signed an agreement of cooperation regarding cross border frequency interference with South Africa. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ONLINE As of November 2015, Lesotho had 12.8% internet penetration rate. Although this seems low in relation to other countries in the region, Facebook has turned out to be a vibrant platform for participation and deliberation since there are no daily newspapers and the broadcasting sector lacks real diversity. final stage of gazetting a law that would stamp out computer crime and cybercrime. These threats followed a series of Facebook and Whatsapp posts that alleged, among other issues, that government had imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew, while another linked the Deputy Prime Minister with an alleged plot to assassinate Archbishop Tlali Lerotholi of the Roman Catholic Church. The social networks posts also carried stories about how the Deputy Prime Minister had allegedly bribed members of the SADC Commission of inquiry into Lesotho’s instability to ensure its findings would portray him in a positive light. LOOKING TO 2016 There is a desperate need for the enactment of access to information law and advocacy for the adoption of a media policy has to continue. During the elections, online media platforms proved to be the preferred choice for political conversations and for the first time, politicians and political parties also became active on Facebook. This is when threats to internet freedom emerged. In July, Lesotho’s deputy prime minister Mothetjoa Metsing, threatened to close down social media sites, particularly Facebook, which he said threatened the security of the country by perpetuating lies and distorting the truth. The government said it was hunting down people who used Facebook to spread rumours and lies about the security situation in the country and about individual political leaders. Minister of Communications Khotso Letsatsi said the government was at the So This is Democracy? 2015 33