MISA Chapters meet in South Africa for Regional strategic planning
MISA chapters have met in South Africa to strategically map the way forward in the region.
MISA Regional Governing Council (RGC) Chairperson, Mr. Golden Maunganidze (Zimbabwe), has met with the MISA RGC Deputy Chairperson, Mr. Nkoale Oetsi Tšoana (Lesotho) ahead of the MISA Regional Strategic Planning meeting currently underway in Rosebank, South Africa.
The regional chairperson and deputy discussed developments realised since election of the new
RGC earlier this year. They also discussed challenges and emerging issues relating to freedom of expression, press freedom and access and receipt of information, as well as the safety and security of journalists in the SADC region.
Strides made in Lesotho’s media sector, in particular within the multisectoral national reforms currently spearheaded by the National Reforms Authority (NRA), were highlighted, which include adoption of the Lesotho Draft National Media Policy and the National Media Draft Code of Ethics, Conduct, Behaviour and Practice.
Recent developments in the National Assembly of Lesotho on Computer Crime and Cybersecurity Bill of 2021, as well as the Communications (Subscriber Identity Module and Mobile Device Registration) Regulations of 2021, which the parliament rescinded on grounds that the Communications Minister should go back and review the documents in consultation with stakeholders, were also discussed. Meanwhile, the MISA Region, with national chapters’ representatives from Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe and Malawi are presently developing a regional strategic plan that MISA will use for the next five years.
The delegation from MISA-Lesotho comprises of the Chairperson, National Director Mr Lekhetho Ntsukunyane and Programmes Officer Mr Renang Mokeki.
Source: Promoting Free Expression in South Africa