with the fact that no per diems were
budgeted for the workshop.
• Conflict of interest among NGC
members – in fact a grouping of
some of the members had formed an
advocacy organisation that capitalised on gaps in MISA Lesotho programming.
• A demand for sitting allowances for
unconstitutional meetings held without collaboration with or knowledge
of the secretariat.
By acting in this manner the NGC
placed MISA Lesotho at risk and the
organisation was therefore not likely to
get support in driving the media reforms
agenda.
Despite these challenges, MISA Lesotho
was still pursuing a legal transformation
agenda through its clearly articulated
project on media reform that is likely to
get support for better implementation.
Among the project’s objectives were
organisational development and establishment of media leadership forums to
actively participate in the reforms project with a clearer focus on the sectors
priorities in Lesotho.

MEDIA AND ELECTIONS
Multi-media Elections Reporting
To contribute to peaceful national assembly elections held in June 2017,
MISA Lesotho rolled out an innovative
project on multi-media elections reporting. The project focused on the training
of 30 journalists in producing content
for diverse social media platforms and
simultaneous live broadcast of the elections. The ultimate result of the project
was simultaneous broadcast of electoral
process that connected 12 radio stations.

46

So This is Democracy? 2017

The broadcast was coordinated and
facilitated by MISA Lesotho through
their broadcasting studio providing updates from all ten districts of the country through live reports compiled by
teams of three journalists per district.
This ground breaking innovative project
supported by OSISA, included posting
of video and articles on a portal www.
misa.org.ls (now linked to www.lesotho.
misa.org). Observer missions and other
interested parties credited the project for
its contribution to transparency in the
electoral process thereby assisting with
the acceptance of the results through
professional and credible reporting.

The media sector
saluted the eventual
arrest of the soldiers
who allegedly shot
Lesotho Times editor,
Lloyd Mutungamiri in
2016. The arrest was
viewed as an attempt
by government to end
impunity in Lesotho.

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