STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA 2022 Nthomeng Majara’s elec�on as the first woman deputy prime minister in Lesotho in November 2022 raised hope for women in the country to hold top posts Lesotho did not record any media violations. Well ahead of the elections, a number of journalists signed an elections reporting pledge; a declaration of practical, ethical and professional reporting throughout the electoral process. The pledge had the buy-in from the Lesotho Communications Authority. This improved the working environment for journalists and in turn, there was a reduction in complaints filed with the Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) against journalists.(5) INTERNET ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY More than half of Lesotho’s population has access to the internet, with penetration standing at 51 percent, the majority of which access it through mobile phones. 44 While there is a steady growth in internet use, a major hurdle is the high cost of internet, which may be competitive regionally, but still prohibitively out of reach for many Basotho. The geographical size of this small nation gives it an advantage over other countries, as it boasts of having at least 90 percent of its population with 3G internet access. This good national coverage of the internet could have exponentially improved internet access beyond the current statistics. Lesotho can be a poster example of how independent communications regulators must act in protecting digital rights. In 2016 during its national elections, the government had proposed a social media shutdown, a request Lesotho’s Communications Authority rejected demanding a legal basis for such an order. A shutdown has never taken place in Lesotho.