Lesotho
the successful establishment of the
Broadcasting Dispute Resolution Panel
(BDRP), in accordance with the Communications Act of 2012. The BDRP
was established to resolve disputes regarding broadcast content and develop
a broadcasting code.
The Panel’s importance cannot be over
emphasised. The challenge, however, is
that the panel depends on the Lesotho
Communications Authority (LCA) for administrative and financial support. The
BDRP has no office, administrative staff
or basic resources like stationary and it
clearly comes second to any of LCA’s
business.
Despite the lack of resources, one of
the BDRP’s achievements in 2014 was
to draft a broadcasting code repealing
the Broadcasting Rules of 2004. The
draft is ready for submission to the communications Minister, but the instability
within the government and confusion
over the legality of the current Minister
is presenting a challenge. As a result, the
Panel continues to use the existing rules,
which are critizised for being biased towards broadcasters in terms of dispute
settlements.

Radio stations polarosed along
political lines
Lesotho’s radio stations have traditionally been a valuable source of information for citizens and a vibrant forum
for discussion and citizen participation
through the phone-in facilities. However, with the political instability, which
has been growing since late 2013, Lesotho’s radio stations are no longer free.
Most radio stations, both government
and privatly owned, are controlled by
politicians who use them as mouth pieces for advancing their political agendas.
While the state owed television and ra-

32

So This is Democracy? 2014

dio are a battlefield for the three political parties in the coalition government,
the privately owned are divided into
congress and national ideologies. Even
citizens who phone in to participate on
programmes, know which radio station
to say things that would be of interest to
either the congress or nationals.
Radio presenters do not hide their political preferences, regularly expressing
opinions and emotions about issues on
which they should be maintaining neutrality and upholding professionalism
and media ethics.

Most radio stations,
both government
and privatly owned,
are controlled by
politicians who use
them as mouth pieces
for advancing their
political agendas.
MISA Lesotho, with support from OSISA
and the United Nations Development
Programme Lesotho has been trying to
address the situation. In December,
2014 we began implementing a training
and education programe, Broadcasters’
Capacity Building on Peace Building
and Conflict Reporting. The project objective is to contribute the building of
peace through conflict sensitive reporting.
MISA Lesotho’s initiative is comple-

Select target paragraph3