Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Internet Society Lesotho Chapter in concert with the Ministry of Communications Science and Technology started a momentous effort to mount the Internet
Governance Forum (IGF) in the country. This past Saturday saw the first country forum which had participation of different stakeholders who are consumers and interested parties within the internet space.
Speaking at the forum, the Internet Society Lesotho Chapter Chairperson Ithabeleng Chabana said everyone should come on board of the discussions around the internet governance
adding that IGF is “essential to the future of the internet in the country”. “This past week, we held the First Lesotho School of Internet Governance course.
This has been instrumental in building bridges among different stakeholder groups, blending various experiences and sharing ideas. From both the SIG and the IGF, we need
to collectively identify from our discussions, the best practices that can help us as a nation, to march towards a goal that I believe we all share – The
Internet which benefits Lesotho and her people,” Chabana said. She further underscored the importance of the internet in the daily lives of the populace.
The Chairperson added that the IGF requires the participation of all relevant stakeholders for the success of its governance to be realised. She remarked thus: “We
need to demonstrate the multi-stakeholder model work. How the internet has come to be, and how it has continued to be the success it is, is because of various
stakeholder groups that have worked so hard for it. ” Chabana challenged the participants’ to be “fearless” when engaging the laws and policies regarding
the internet governance within the country. In endeavour to govern the internet space, the country had set in motion process of formulating the Computer Crime and Cyber Security bill 2021.
On behalf of the Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, the acting Principal Secretary ‘Mabataung Khalane echoed the sentiments on the importance of the
internet, saying; “we are experiencing the positive impact of the internet either directly or indirectly in our daily lives”. Khalane said the ministry, as a custodian of the Information Communication and Technology (ICT)
should ensure that the members of the public have access to reliable and affordable internet adding that they will also ensure sufficient bandwidth in
order for internet users to meet their daily needs. “Appropriate use of the internet makes life easy, fast and simple. It also helps us with facts and
figures and information and knowledge for personal, social and economic development. It is therefore through the effective governance of the internet that we shall reap the benefits of the 5th and 6th
Generation Networks, Artificial General Intelligence as well as Vehicular Communication Systems,” she said. The Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nizam Goolam
applauded the forum saying “Internet Governance for development; Bridging the Digital divide and Security, Openness and Privacy”. He said the move is an
attempt to bridge the digital divide. “This is only the beginning, and I hope we can all work together to continue this wonderful initiative. Finally, to the students of SIG, I hope you use the knowledge and
skills obtained from the training to advance Internet Governance in Lesotho. The concepts you now have can only get better if you engage in national and
international matters around Internet Governance moving forward,” Goolam said. “Our discussions today can inform the critical challenges we have as a country in Bridging the Digital
Divide within our communities, and how the Internet can contribute to inclusive growth and development. This would not have been possible, had the Ministry of Communications responded to the call of duty, and by the aid of our
sponsors, Lesotho Communications Authority and Vodacom Lesotho,” the Internet Society Lesotho Chapter Chairperson remarked. The hybrid forum had participation of highly placed representatives from the African Union
Commission (AUC), European Union (EU) and the Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) project. Also in participation were the representatives from the LCA – the local regulator, Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs), local telecommunications companies (Vodacom Lesotho and Econet Telecom
Lesotho), media and the legal practitioners. The Internet Society is a global organisation with footprint in Lesotho and it aspire to have internet a “force for good: open, globally connected, secure and trustworthy”. It subscribes to a notion that internet is for everyone.
