Open Forum #54 Advancing Lesothos Digital Transformation Policies

Summary

This discussion focused on Lesotho’s digital transformation journey and the country’s efforts to advance digitalization through policies and practices. The session was part of the Internet Governance Forum 2025, featuring speakers from Lesotho’s government, parliament, and development partners. Minister Nthati Moorosi outlined Lesotho’s mission to build a connected, secure, inclusive and resilient digital society by 2030, emphasizing key areas like digital payments, digital identity, and creating opportunities from rural villages to urban centers.

Principal Secretary Kanono Ramasamule detailed the country’s digital transformation strategy, which is anchored on five pillars: enabling environment, digital government, digital infrastructure, digital population skills, and digital business. He highlighted significant progress including cabinet approval of the National Digital Transformation Strategy, completion of ICT governance frameworks, and partnerships with India’s Ministry of Electronics and ICT. The country has achieved 100% broadband coverage, though challenges remain with affordability and device access.

Member of Parliament Lekhotsa Mafethe discussed efforts to digitize Lesotho’s National Assembly, including making parliament paperless and enabling remote participation by MPs. He emphasized the importance of separating cybersecurity and computer crimes bills to better address each area’s specific needs. UNDP representative Nthabiseng Pule addressed the critical digital skills gap, particularly among women, and outlined plans to establish training centers in 40 villages with digital champions to provide community-based digital literacy programs.

The discussion concluded with calls for international partnerships and collaboration, as speakers acknowledged that Lesotho cannot achieve its digital transformation goals in isolation and actively seeks support from development partners and neighboring countries.

Keypoints

## Major Discussion Points:

– **Lesotho’s National Digital Transformation Strategy**: The country has developed a comprehensive five-pillar strategy focusing on enabling environment (policies/regulations), digital government through Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), digital infrastructure (achieving 100% broadband coverage), digital population (skills development), and digital business to address youth unemployment and economic growth.

– **Digital Parliament Initiative**: Parliament is being digitized to become paperless, enable remote participation by MPs, provide live streaming of proceedings, and improve public access to parliamentary processes, while working on crucial legislation like cybersecurity and AI policy bills.

– **Infrastructure and Connectivity Challenges**: Despite being landlocked, Lesotho has achieved connectivity through partnerships (shareholder in submarine cables, agreements with South Africa), satellite services, and establishing internet exchange points, though affordability and device access remain significant barriers.

– **Skills Development and Digital Inclusion**: Major focus on addressing the digital skills gap, particularly among women, youth, and vulnerable populations, through village-based training programs with digital champions and partnerships with organizations like UNDP to establish training centers in 40 pilot villages.

– **Call for International Partnerships**: Strong emphasis on seeking collaboration with global partners, development organizations, and neighboring countries to accelerate digital transformation, share best practices, and secure funding for scaling initiatives.

## Overall Purpose:

The discussion aimed to showcase Lesotho’s digital transformation progress at the Internet Governance Forum 2025, share the country’s strategic approach and achievements, identify challenges and opportunities, and actively seek international partnerships and collaboration to advance their digital agenda by 2030.

## Overall Tone:

The tone was consistently positive, collaborative, and forward-looking throughout the session. Speakers demonstrated pride in their achievements while maintaining transparency about challenges. The atmosphere was professional yet welcoming, with genuine enthusiasm for partnership opportunities. The tone remained optimistic and solution-oriented from start to finish, emphasizing cooperation and shared learning rather than dwelling on obstacles.

Speakers

**Speakers from the provided list:**

– **Seletar Tselekhwa** – System Librarian at the National Institute of Lesotho, Session Moderator

– **Nthati Moorosi** – Minister of Information, Communication, Science and Technology and Innovation

– **Kanono Ramasamule** – Principal Secretary (PIA’s Principal Secretary)

– **Lekhotsa Mafethe** – Member of Parliament from Lesotho, Member of Prime Minister’s Ministries Committee in the National Assembly, Member of APNIC

– **Nthabiseng Pule** – UNDP representative, Minister of ICT Advisor (referred to as “Menter Wile” in the transcript)

– **Audience** – Multiple audience members including:

– Abdukarim – Professor of wireless telecommunications from the University of Illinois in Nigeria

– Celine Bal – IGF Secretariat

– Togo Mia – Representative from South Africa’s Internet Governance Forum multi-stakeholder committee, Civil society representative

**Additional speakers:**

– **Dr Tahleho T’seole** – Mentioned as participating online (referenced but no direct quotes in transcript)

# Comprehensive Report: Lesotho’s Digital Transformation Journey – Internet Governance Forum 2025

## Executive Summary

This comprehensive report examines a detailed discussion on Lesotho’s digital transformation initiatives presented at the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Norway. The session, moderated by Seletar Tselekhwa, System Librarian at the National Institute of Lesotho, brought together key government officials, parliamentary representatives, and international development partners to showcase the country’s strategic approach to building a digitally inclusive society by 2030. This marked Lesotho’s second participation in the IGF, with the session broadcast live in Lesotho.

The discussion featured Minister Nthati Moorosi outlining Lesotho’s mission to create a “connected, secure, inclusive and resilient digital society,” Principal Secretary Kanono Ramasamule detailing the comprehensive five-pillar strategy underpinning this transformation, Member of Parliament Lekhotsa Mafethe providing insights into parliamentary digitalisation efforts, and UNDP representative Nthabiseng Pule addressing critical challenges around digital skills gaps and device accessibility. Dr Tahleho T’seole was scheduled to participate online but did not contribute to the discussion.

The presentations revealed coordinated efforts across government institutions and development partners, with speakers acknowledging both significant achievements in infrastructure coverage and persistent challenges in accessibility and digital skills development.

## Strategic Framework and Vision

### National Digital Transformation Strategy

Lesotho’s digital transformation strategy represents a comprehensive approach anchored on five fundamental pillars, as articulated by Principal Secretary Kanono Ramasamule. The enabling environment pillar focuses on developing robust policies and regulatory frameworks, with significant progress including cabinet approval of the National Digital Transformation Strategy and completion of ICT governance frameworks. The data management policy is under validation, alongside AI policy development, and the Protection of Personal Data Act is under review. The African Union and GIZ are collaborating on data governance policy development.

The digital government pillar emphasises Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) implementation, which Ramasamule positioned as crucial for facilitating the Africa Continental Free Trade Area’s digital trade protocol, stating that “the implementation of this protocol lies solely on implementation of DPI.” The government is upgrading its data center that “had remained dormant for many years” and establishing enterprise architecture and interoperability frameworks through consultant contracts.

The digital infrastructure pillar has achieved remarkable success, with Lesotho now boasting 100% broadband coverage despite its landlocked status. This was accomplished through terrestrial connections via South Africa and satellite services, with internet exchange points being established for local traffic management. The digital population pillar addresses skills development through universal service fund programmes, while the digital business pillar aims to tackle youth unemployment through digital entrepreneurship opportunities.

### Policy Development and Implementation

The policy framework development has progressed significantly, with multiple initiatives underway simultaneously. Ramasamule detailed the validation of broadband infrastructure sharing policy and ongoing work on various regulatory frameworks. The European Union is making arrangements for developing digital blueprints with Estonia, though this partnership is still being finalized.

Partnerships with international organizations have been instrumental, including collaboration with India’s Ministry of Electronics and ICT. The government has established clear timelines for implementation, with the data network upgrade contract scheduled for conclusion early the following week, demonstrating momentum in implementation efforts.

## Parliamentary Digital Transformation

### Digitalising Legislative Processes

Member of Parliament Lekhotsa Mafethe outlined ambitious plans for transforming Lesotho’s National Assembly into a fully digital institution. The objectives include making parliament paperless, enabling remote participation by MPs, providing live streaming of proceedings, and implementing digital voting systems. These initiatives aim to enhance public access to parliamentary processes whilst improving operational efficiency.

The parliamentary transformation extends beyond mere digitisation to encompass fundamental changes in how legislative work is conducted. Plans include electronic attendance systems, digital document management, and enhanced public engagement through online platforms.

### Legislative Priorities and Strategic Decisions

A significant development emerged regarding cybersecurity legislation, where Mafethe revealed that the parliamentary committee, through multi-stakeholder engagement, determined that previously bundled cybersecurity and computer crimes bills should be separated. This represents a strategic shift from the original government approach, with Mafethe arguing that “we need to unbound both bills and let each bill have its own policies and merits on its own side so that we can define with ease each own merits for public consumptions without the other overshadowing the other.”

The parliament is also working on AI policy legislation, with Mafethe offering a philosophical perspective on technology integration: “It is quite essentially important for us to realise that human intervention and AI, I believe, should coexist for generations to come since neither can operate without the other.” This thoughtful approach demonstrates sophisticated understanding of emerging technology challenges.

## Infrastructure Achievements and Accessibility Challenges

### Connectivity Success Despite Geographic Constraints

Despite being landlocked, Lesotho has successfully addressed connectivity challenges through partnerships with South Africa and satellite services. The country has achieved 100% broadband coverage, with infrastructure development including internet exchange points and expanding connectivity to government institutions. Plans are underway to extend connectivity to councils and district administrator offices during the third quarter.

The government has also established bilateral agreements (BNC) with South Africa and is developing satellite applications MOUs with other countries, demonstrating regional cooperation in addressing connectivity challenges.

### Persistent Accessibility Barriers

However, significant challenges remain in translating infrastructure coverage into meaningful access for citizens. Principal Secretary Ramasamule acknowledged that whilst broadband coverage is universal, “challenges with affordability and access to devices” persist. UNDP representative Nthabiseng Pule provided stark statistics, revealing that “less than 5% of the population has access to laptops, creating significant barriers for youth productivity and digital participation.”

This device accessibility challenge was illustrated through a poignant anecdote shared by Pule about a young person whose laptop had reached end of life, saying “even this one is borrowed. I need, definitely to be productive, I need a new laptop. But how I get it, I do not know.” This demonstrates how the digital divide affects individual potential and productivity.

## Digital Skills Development and Inclusion

### Addressing the Skills Gap

The digital skills landscape in Lesotho presents significant challenges. Pule revealed that “only 14% of population has moderate digital skills whilst the majority have very low skills, requiring massive capacity building efforts.” A significant gender digital skills gap exists, with women being less digitally skilled compared to men.

To address these challenges, multiple approaches are being implemented. The government’s strategy involves digital literacy programmes through the universal service fund, targeting teachers who will cascade training to children and parents. Additionally, arrangements have been made between the Ministry of Education and service providers to offer discounted data to students.

### Community-Based Training Initiatives

UNDP’s partnership with the government focuses on establishing training centres in 40 villages, with digital champions providing community-based digital literacy programmes. These centres will specifically target women, youth, and people with disabilities. Pule explained that this village-based approach recognises resource limitations, with funding constraints limiting the initial rollout to 40 villages instead of nationwide coverage.

The training programmes are designed to be practical and relevant to daily life, focusing on skills that can immediately improve productivity and economic opportunities. However, the challenge of reaching out-of-school youth remains, as current discount programmes primarily benefit students within the formal education system.

## Infrastructure and Connectivity Context

### Electricity Access Challenges

Supporting the digital transformation goals requires addressing basic infrastructure needs. According to Pule, current electricity access is provided through 10 mini-grids serving 10,000 households, with plans to reach 75-100% population coverage by 2030 to support broader digital transformation objectives.

### Connectivity Partnerships and Technical Details

The connectivity achievements have been supported by various partnerships and technical initiatives. Nthabiseng Pule mentioned Lesotho’s participation in the Wayok submarine cable shareholding, which contributes to the country’s connectivity options alongside terrestrial and satellite connections.

The GIGA project mapping and financing model completion with the Ministry of Education represents ongoing efforts to enhance educational connectivity, complementing the universal service fund initiatives for school connections.

## International Partnerships and Collaboration

### Strategic Development Partnerships

Throughout the discussion, speakers emphasized that Lesotho’s digital transformation success depends heavily on international partnerships. The country has established relationships with multiple international partners, including India’s Ministry of Electronics and ICT for technical cooperation, and ongoing arrangements with the European Union for policy development support.

The potential partnership with Estonia focuses on digital blueprint development, though arrangements are still being finalized. These partnerships demonstrate Lesotho’s strategic approach to leveraging global expertise whilst building local capacity.

### Regional Cooperation

Regional cooperation, particularly with South Africa, has been crucial for addressing connectivity challenges. The bilateral agreements (BNC) with South Africa include provisions for cross-border digital initiatives, with plans to test cross-border ID verification and data exchange systems.

## Implementation Timeline and Priorities

### Immediate Actions

Several concrete action items emerged with specific timelines. The government data network upgrade contract is scheduled for conclusion early the following week, demonstrating immediate implementation momentum. The digital agency (CDU office) establishment is moving forward to focus specifically on digital transformation implementation.

Expansion of connectivity to councils and district administrator offices is planned for the third quarter, with cybersecurity bills scheduled for parliamentary consideration. The national addressing system implementation timeline has been accelerated from the original 2026 schedule to begin by the end of the year or early the following year.

### Medium-Term Objectives

The GIGA mapping and financing model completion with the Ministry of Education represents a medium-term priority, alongside the testing of cross-border systems with South Africa. The establishment of 40 village digital champion training centres through the UNDP partnership represents a significant commitment to community-based capacity building.

## Key Challenges and Considerations

### Device Access and Affordability

The challenge of providing affordable device access, particularly laptops, remains a significant barrier to meaningful digital participation. With less than 5% of the population currently having access to laptops, this represents a critical constraint on digital transformation goals.

The related challenge of ensuring affordable connectivity for out-of-school youth also requires attention, as current discount programmes primarily benefit students within formal education systems.

### Scaling and Sustainability

Funding constraints limit many initiatives to pilot phases, with the digital skills training programme initially reaching only 40 villages instead of nationwide coverage. The challenge of scaling successful pilots to national programmes remains a significant concern requiring continued international support and innovative approaches.

## Legislative Approach and Policy Coordination

### Parliamentary Strategy

The parliamentary committee’s decision to separate cybersecurity and computer crimes legislation represents a thoughtful approach to policy development, focusing on ensuring each bill receives appropriate consideration without one overshadowing the other.

The parliament’s work on AI policy legislation demonstrates forward-thinking approaches to emerging technology governance, with emphasis on human-AI coexistence rather than replacement paradigms.

## Implications and Lessons

### Model for Small Landlocked Countries

Lesotho’s success in achieving universal broadband coverage despite geographic constraints provides valuable insights for other landlocked countries. The combination of strategic partnerships, terrestrial connections through neighboring countries, and satellite services demonstrates that geographic limitations can be addressed through creative approaches.

### Coordinated Multi-Stakeholder Approach

The coordination demonstrated among government, parliament, and international development partners offers insights for other countries seeking to implement comprehensive digital transformation strategies. The alignment across institutions provides a foundation for sustainable implementation.

### Balancing Ambition with Pragmatism

Lesotho’s approach of setting ambitious goals whilst implementing pragmatic solutions based on available resources demonstrates mature policy development. The willingness to start with pilot programmes and scale gradually offers lessons for other developing countries facing similar resource constraints.

## Conclusion

The discussion revealed a comprehensive and coordinated approach to digital transformation that extends beyond technology adoption to encompass fundamental changes in governance, service delivery, and citizen engagement. The presentations demonstrated alignment among government institutions and development partners, combined with honest acknowledgement of challenges and constraints.

Lesotho’s experience demonstrates that small, landlocked countries can achieve significant progress in digital infrastructure through strategic partnerships and innovative approaches. The emphasis on inclusion, particularly for women, youth, and vulnerable populations, shows commitment to ensuring digital transformation benefits all citizens.

The specific action items and timelines discussed suggest momentum behind implementation efforts, whilst the acknowledged challenges highlight areas requiring continued attention and innovative solutions. The call for continued international partnerships reflects recognition that digital transformation requires sustained commitment and support.

Overall, the discussion presented Lesotho as a country with clear strategic direction, practical implementation approaches, and strong partnerships, whilst honestly acknowledging the significant challenges that remain in translating infrastructure achievements into meaningful access and digital participation for all citizens.

Seletar Tselekhwa: Okay, thank you so much. My name is Seletar Tselekhwa from Lesotho. I am the System Librarian at the National Institute of Lesotho. Thank you for coming and we are going to have some speakers online and in person. As you can see, we have the Minister of ICT, Honourable Nthati, and we have the Honourable Lekhotsa Mafethe as our moderator, as the speaker on-site. And we are going to have Dr Tahleho T’seole, who is going to be online, and we are going to have PIA’s Principal Secretary, Mr Kanono Ramasamule. Basically, our session today is on Advancing Lesotho’s Digital Transformation through Policies and Practices. So what we are going to do here is just to share the progress that we have done as a country and the challenges, the opportunities, and also we want to collaborate with you in terms of the digitization and how to upgrade our understanding in the digital platforms. And also, we just want to introduce you to Lesotho’s Digital National, Digital Priorities and present the country’s policy direction through the Digital Transformation Strategy and with the recent initiatives that were done under the Lesotho ICT Ministry and showcase the implementation example that we have done. Also encourage dialogue across sectors to bring together the government academia and development partners and civil society to reflect on the progress. We also want to explore institutional roles in digital ecosystems and also want to align with the global agenda like the WSIS and also how we can work together as the IGF also. Thank you so much. Let me welcome the Minister of Information, Communication, Science and Technology and Innovation to give us the key note address. Thank you.

Nthati Moorosi: Thank you, Dr. Lizazi, the moderator for this session. It is a great honor for me to be welcoming you all to the Lesotho session of the Internet Governance of 2025. We invited you here today to share our Lesotho digital transformation journey so that you can help us reflect on it, share experiences and best practices, and form partnerships that can help us create a meaningful and lasting impact for our people, Lesotho as they are known. Our mission is clear. We want to build a connected, secure, inclusive and resilient Lesotho by 2030. Towards this mission, our national digital transformation strategy is the compass towards closing the digital divide, fostering innovation and creating a society where every citizen can fully participate in the digital age. Ultimately, the Kingdom of Lesotho will see the increased economic growth, improved public services and enhanced social inclusion. Agent areas for digital transformation are payments, digital identity, and unlock opportunities for every Lesotho, from mountainous villages to the capital classrooms and marketplaces. With your expertise, your investment, your shared commitment, we can strengthen connectivity, foster cybersecurity, foster skills, and grow an innovation ecosystem that benefits all. Let us walk forward together towards a digitally empowered Lesotho where no one is left behind. Thank you very much.

Seletar Tselekhwa: Thank you so much, Minister Ntati, and we thank you so much for the well-resourced presentation and keynote address, and now we are going to Mr. Kanonorama Sharmole, who is going to give us the Lesotho digital policies and initiatives, specifically he is going to focus on the ICT policies that we are on and what we want to achieve in the future. So, Mr. Kanonorama, the stage is yours.

Kanono Ramasamule: Thank you. Thank you very much, Ntati, and let me start by recognizing the presence of the honorable ministers and the distinguished guests that have joined this session. From the ministers, let me start by just making a few comments on the minister’s remarks. She talked about the need to drive digital public infrastructure as our approach towards digital transformation. She also mentioned the issue of e-commerce. We all know that Lesotho has a big challenge with youth unemployment, and we believe digital transformation will provide some solutions to these challenges. And you asked me to elaborate on the policies that we are putting in place, but let me just start with our digital transformation strategy. Our digital transformation strategy is anchored on five pillars, the first pillar being the enabling environment where we define the policies and the legislations and the regulations that are required to drive digital transformation. The second one is the digital government. Digital government, this is where we have actually taken the decision to drive it through DPI approach. I just walked out of another session on DPI where we are actually discussing where we are as a country and the challenges we are facing. The minister is right to say we are looking for partners to assist us on this journey. The other pillar, the third one, is the digital infrastructure. The minister mentioned that we recently licensed the satellite service provider to improve our connectivity in the country. We are proud to say we now have 100 percent broadband coverage in Lesotho, but there are still challenges regarding affordability and also access to devices. The fourth one is digital population. Now, this is where we are saying in order to make sure that we drive inclusion, we have to make sure that people are adequately skilled at all levels, from the basic level to advanced level in digital skills. The last one is the digital population, rather the digital business. This is now where we think we have the potential to actually change the lives of our people through digital. We may know that the African Union some time back endorsed what is now a mature framework for free trade in Africa, which is Africa Continental Free Trade Area. I think two years ago, the heads of state endorsed the protocol on digital trade. We view as Lesotho that the implementation of this protocol lies solely on implementation of DPI. We believe DPI can implement the digital protocol at scale and securely using DPIs. I will now go straight to my second slide after just giving this brief introduction, just to share what we have done so far and what we hope to achieve in the next three to four years. Let me try to move to the next slide. Mr Kanonu, are you OK? Thank you. Yes. OK, here it is. OK. So far, we have been fortunate that the cabinet has approved the National Digital Transformation Strategy. We are also organising the way we do ICT in the country and in particular within the government. We have completed the ICT governance framework. We have also signed the DPI pilot with MOSIC. We are at a very early stages. Just a few weeks ago, we we approved it. The technical solution will be moving to the second phase of validating data and setting up the hardware for sandboxes required. We are also on the verge of signing the MOU that was approved by the cabinet with our country ministry in India, the Minister of Electronics and ICT. We have also developed and validated a couple of policies, artificial intelligence policy, data management policy and broadband and infrastructure sharing policy. Two weeks ago, we also conducted a DPI awareness workshop. So these are the things we we have done so far. We are currently working on a number of initiatives that will help us accelerate our digital transformation. The first one, we will be upgrading the government data network very soon, expecting the contract to be concluded early next week. We have also started using our data center that had remained dormant for many years. We currently have two services running in the data center. Like I mentioned, the MOSIC pilot is in progress. We are also working on the digital literacy programs through our universal service fund where we are giving digital skills to the teachers. And we hope the teachers will teach the children, the children will teach their parents. We are also completing the contract for a consultant to help us with the enterprise architecture and interoperability framework, because in order to implement e-commerce, not only in Lesotho, but across the border, we need a data exchange platform and framework that are robust. We hope in the third quarter of this year, we’ll expand connectivity to the councils and the DA’s office. Because remember, I said we still have that challenge of accessibility, of connectivity, even though we are 100 percent. So the councils and the schools will be our platform for people who don’t have devices to be able to access Internet and ultimately the government services. We are also working on the government e-services platform where we will now start building services. We are also working with the Ministry of Education on GIGA project. It is moving ahead as planned. We’ll be doing the GIGA mapping and financing model. This will also be complemented by our efforts through the universal service fund. We hope that by the end of the financial year, we’ll have the cyber security bills approved by the parliament. Then we’ll be able to move to the development of our national cyber security strategy. We are also working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to review the current Protection of Personal Data Act. We are also working with the African Union and the GIZ to ensure that we have a very solid data governance policy. We have a number of initiatives that we want to start as early as possible. If you can see on my slide, we have the development of government digital blueprints. We are fortunate that this initiative has actually moved up because with the help of the European Union, we’ll be able to start working on this initiative, I think, in six weeks with the government of Estonia. The EU is making arrangements for our team to have the workshop in Estonia in six weeks. We are also on the infrastructure, working on the expansion of our cyber infrastructure, as the minister said. We also plan to accelerate the connectivity to the health clinics and other government offices. If you can see on the slide here towards the end, especially if you can look for DPI for cross-border, we are talking with the countries in the region, in the southern region, preferably we’ll start with South Africa to start testing cross-border ID verification and data exchange. We believe this initiative will enable the two governments to implement some of the decisions that were made during the BNC earlier this year. The minister mentioned the national addressing system. We are also moving this one up, not in 2026. We’ll probably start working on it towards the end of this year or early next year. The office of the CDU and the implementing of the digital agency, we are also concluding the contract with the consultant, because this is the agency that will now be focused on the digital transformation. At the moment, we are doing all these efforts within the ministry, which is a bit difficult for us, because as a ministry, we deal with a lot of issues. So we think this agency that is focused on digital transformation will move at a faster pace than what we are currently doing. And then we’ll be also looking at other satellite applications. We have the MOUs with other countries that we want to pursue in terms of… of Satellite Applications. As you can see, there is a lot on our plate. As the Minister said, we need a lot of partners to walk this journey with us. Thank you, Nthati Moorosi.

Seletar Tselekhwa: Thank you so much, Nthati P.S. This is really exciting to see that the government of Lesotho is doing well, and we are hoping to work with other countries and with other partners. As the IGF said, our theme is on multi-stakeholder engagement. That says we are trying to find a way to work together as a country, because we can’t work together. Once we are working in silos, we are not going to achieve more, but when we are working together, we are going to achieve more. As the Minister and the P.S. said, most of the time they were focusing on digitization in the communities, the ministerial offices also, but now we are going to focus on the digitization of the parliament. As Lesotho, we want our parliamentarians to be digitalized and be skilled in digitization. So, Mr. Lekhoza Mafet, may you come and share about the progress on the digital transformation of the parliament of Lesotho. Thank you.

Lekhotsa Mafethe: Thank you. Thank you to you, Mr. Lekhoza Mafet. My name is Lekhoza Mafet, a member of parliament from Lesotho and a member of a committee called Prime Minister’s Ministries in the National Assembly and a member of APNIC. So, today, through you, Mr. Moderator, oh, by the way, I think everybody should take note that Lesotho right now, we’re busy trying to engage as much with as possible to ensure that what we have current in policies and what we try to create, we bridge such boundaries where we now start engaging with youth as opposed to giving youth. So, now youth are quite a lot part of this. So, to the ministry, big ups to you for such an engagement. My first topic right now is on digital parliament processes. The objectives, it is to digitize Lesotho’s National Assembly, to make it paperless by placing on our papers bills put forth by members of the National Assembly through committees, bills brought from government ministries, private members’ bills and those by public participation and to give the public access to the same bills digitally. There’s abilities and possibilities to the digitization of parliament, which quite notably currently is to provide access to MPs to participate either in the physical form in the National Assembly or with any mobile suitable device from anywhere in the world. The Ministry of Communications has also committed to initiate a live streaming link for parliament proceedings to be made available through its sessions through a dedicated webpage and other social media tools like YouTube, Facebook and others that might be. Recording and archiving sessions through a digital library to provide a voting button to use remotely by MPs from any location and to develop a leg register for MPs for parliamentary sessions attendance in-house. And by the way, today’s session is a true testament of the digital transformation that the Ministry of Communications has taken, that we are being broadcast today live in our country where there’s no journalist around, but rather through a coordination of the national broadcasting entity including the IGF secretary at the UN and the government of Norway. So it’s for us, it’s actually quite a pleasure to say we’ve done the part that is noticeable today for all to see. On second note, it’s the parliament legal frameworks. As the Minister of Communications had highlighted in one of our sessions the other day and the PS has just noted that there’s a policy in place, an AI policy in place which now it would be ideal for the ministry to bring it to parliament so that we can discuss and bring about a bill to it. Then in itself it would open up a door for tech enthusiasts to start the exploration of building AI-supported technology without any form of doubt. Now, there’s one challenge that we really need to go through because now when you’re talking about digitization, we’re talking about AI, we’re talking about control measures that are supposed to be put in place more especially because now it’s now in a different landscape altogether. So which is our cyber security bill and computer crimes bill? Through multi-stakeholder engagements from both the media fraternities, human rights groups, civil society and government ministries, our committee, the Prime Minister’s Ministry Committees, has realized that we need to unbound both bills and let each bill have its own policies and merits on its own side so that we can define with ease each own merits for public consumptions without the other overshadowing the other. That will still be an initiative that the ministry and all the other stakeholders, I believe that they’re still busy or preparing to engage so that we can get at least one bill in the house to go through in this financial year. And in conclusion, to my fellow MPs present in Norway for the IGF, my fellow Basotho countrymen, Africans at large and other citizens from across the group as a whole, it is quite essentially important for us to realize that human intervention and AI, I believe, should coexist for generations to come since neither can operate without the other. It will not be an ideal situation where inter-probability is left out of the equation by both machine and man as might be a perception for many. And to you, Celine, and the UN Secretariat at large, we only see you smile. Thank you for such an opportunity of putting us on such a big stage where we’re able to put out what Lesotho has achieved through your help, UN, and other entities that has been there and a friend to our country. And to the Norwegian government, I’d like to thank you for the hospitality and the ever-shining bright skies that shine even at night. We thank you for being here.

Seletar Tselekhwa: Thank you so much, Honorable Lekhotsa Mafethe, and indeed, this is a good platform for you as a parliamentarian to show the importance of being a parliamentarian. And you just removed the perception about being a parliamentarian. And we can see that you are a well-resourced parliamentarian who we trust you that you will drive the parliament of Lesotho to a better future. Thank you so much. And now we are going to move to the road map, where we want to go. Menter is a minister of ICT, advisor, and she is one of our resource in the country in terms of digitization. She is going to share about the digital transformation strategy, where we want to go, the agenda 2030, and we know that the IGF itself, it is focusing on the SDGs and what we want to achieve in the next five years. We have just moved from the last 20 years, but now we want to say, in the next five years, where are we going? Menter is saying. Thank you.

Nthabiseng Pule: Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Menter Wile, as explained, and I’m going to just run through what the United Nations system in Lesotho is assisting the ministry’s journey on the digital transformation. I am specifically sitting within UNDP so I will focus mostly on what UNDP is doing. What is currently engaging the ministry’s team mostly is the development of digital skills, the assessment of the youth, the women and people living under vulnerable conditions. The study that we concluded found that most women are not digitally skilled compared to men so we have a gender digital skills gap that must be addressed. To do that the UNDP and the government are partnering to set up training centres in villages. We have identified 40 villages where we can pilot this approach where we place one digital champion in a village of those 40 villages and they will every single day get to work to impart skills to the community focusing in the populations of interest which is women, youth and people with disabilities. We have also noticed that we are doing work that we have not baselined. Instead of being pedantic and trying to start with the baseline we started with the work. Then we will refine and do a digital readiness assessment in the coming months because the low capacity that we are operating under demands that we be pragmatic. We may not always do things by the book but work has to be done and that is what we are doing. We had the principal secretary talk about the challenges with access to electricity. UNDP and other partners are working on addressing the issue of electricity. 10 mini grids have been built in five districts to serve 10,000 households. That has been accomplished but that just puts a dent in the access gap that we have in Lesotho as far as electricity. Currently efforts are underway to scale up the access to electricity with also partners from the EU and other agencies. The aim is to still have the 75 percent of the population at least connected to the electricity by 2030. In conversations with the Ministry of Energy we have agreed that 75 percent may be not ambitious enough and we have tentatively agreed with them that while 75 percent will not be removed from the books the target will be 100 percent on our minds. Now where the most challenge lies is with the skills. The technical skills of people who have to implement these projects need boosting. Also this needs financing. When I was talking about the training of youth and women in the villages the reason we are starting with 40 sites instead of the entire country is because that project has to be funded and the current funding confines us to that number of 40 instead of the entire population. But if we are talking about an entire population where 14 percent have what we call moderate skills and the majority have very low skills you can understand the magnitude of the problem. But we are not deterred. We are working on this. It’s our mission every single day to make it better for Basotu. So I will just conclude by emphasizing the areas where support is needed. The technical infrastructure needs to be improved. We’re talking here about access to devices. We’re talking about data centers. We’re talking about the networks themselves. We are also talking about, as I have indicated, having a digitally proficient workforce within government. If we are transforming it means every government or every public servant has to be sufficiently proficient in using digital channels to do their work, to deliver services or to access government services themselves. We are also talking about the readiness of the entire population. If government is going to be delivering services online it means the entire population must be ready to receive those services through those channels. So the call to action here is for those willing and with the means to partner with us in delivering the digital vision of Lesotho. Thank you. Thank you so much

Seletar Tselekhwa: Menta for saying and we really appreciate about the progress that is done by the country and the vision for the country in terms of digitization and we hope that the government will work together with other organizations, other countries because sometimes you also need to benchmark on what other countries are doing and also to learn from other countries. So now I think we are going to come to the end of our discussion but now we are going to allow questions and comments from the floor.

Audience: I hope you can hear me. Sorry, good afternoon to everybody. My name is Abdukarim. I’m a professor of wireless telecommunications from the University of Illinois in Nigeria. Let me start by first of all commending the panelists from the Honorable Minister to everybody that spoke on those wonderful presentations. I have about two questions. The first one is we need to benchmark in what we’re doing and we need to understand some of the things you guys are doing well so that some of us from other parts of Africa can actually emulate. I know Lesotho is a landlocked country and when you were talking about telecom infrastructure you never said anything about challenges in terms of access to telecoms, bringing in telecommunication services in a landlocked country especially when it comes to like fiber or how do you get connections to the Atlantic cable. That’s number one. The number two is on the Giga project. I know the Giga project is one of the ITU initiatives. Can you share with us the successes of the Giga project because a lot of African countries want to actually key into the Giga project but we also want to learn from those that are already into the Giga project that how is this Giga project been improving the life of ordinary people of Africa. Thank you so much.

Seletar Tselekhwa: Thank you so much for those questions. I’ll just start with the question on the connectivity. How do we get connectivity when we are landlocked?

Nthabiseng Pule: Thank you for that question. Lesotho is a shareholder in the Wayok submarine cable. When the cable came on for a few years even though we’re a shareholder we didn’t have the service lending in the country because we are landlocked and some agreements had to be established with service providers in South Africa to enable us to eventually have the service in Lesotho. Now through bilateral agreements as indicated we are able to get transit through South Africa to wherever we need to get to. But for us satellite is still an important option so that whenever there’s a problem with the terrestrial cables we can still have connectivity to the rest of the world. For that to happen smoothly we have set up an internet exchange point within the country to ensure that at least local traffic can stay local even if we have problems. So among what we consider critical internet infrastructure in Lesotho is the exchange point. For that specific reason we are landlocked and if ever we lose connectivity on the terrestrial links through the other country it is not for up to us. We must neither be relying on our neighbors to speed up falls on the other side of the border, at least we should be able to communicate locally even though satellite photographs nowadays come to their rescue. That is as far as the question of connectivity goes. It hasn’t been easy, it remains difficult, but it is doable in collaboration with neighbors.

Nthati Moorosi: Thank you. I would like to answer the question on the Giga project and to just say that through the support of UNICEF we are only starting to implement the Giga project. If you look at the map of the schools that are connected through the Giga project, there are very few because we are just at the beginning. But over and above the Giga project we also have a universal service fund which is also connecting schools. We started with 20 schools last year. We are going to be rolling out 20 schools every six months or every year depending on the budget that is available. Thank you.

Seletar Tselekhwa: Okay, thank you so much. Celine?

Audience: Thank you very much. My name is Celine Bal from the IGF Secretariat. It’s an honor, Honorable Mohozi, to have you part of this panel and also for the second time of the IGF and also through the rest of the panel and also to Mr. Hamash Amule who is online. So thank you so much for also providing an overview of the different strategies, let it be from the Ministry and also from the Parliament and the UNDP collaboration. So it’s perhaps more a comment than a question, but I really wanted to let you know that the IGF Secretariat has a vast pool of network and because you are doing this call for partnerships, I really want you to know that you can reach out to us depending on the kind of support that is required and we can also connect you with the different stakeholders that are also part of our forum since quite some years and are really interested and willing to work together with the different ministries. And also perhaps interesting for you because you were mentioning the DPI, there is a colleague here who will be organizing later this afternoon from 4.15 to 5.00 p.m. a session on DPI mapping stakeholders. So perhaps this could be also a very interesting initiative to get to know some other DPI related… Exactly. So this is basically just my comment. And one last question also perhaps to Honorable Mafete. You’ve mentioned the initiatives that are going on in the Parliament and to what extent are you actually collaborating also with other members of parliaments and parliaments around the region to see what are good practices, what can you take on from others, what are practices that did not work so well. So to what extent are you actually collaborating across borders? Thank you so much.

Seletar Tselekhwa: Thank you so much Celine and thank you for the comments and suggestions. And Mr. Mafete, just 30 seconds.

Lekhotsa Mafethe: Thank you Celine for the question put forth on the collaboration with other members of parliament and what we are achieving. I think in my case, speaking for myself quite right now, is that through APNIC, through the Internet School of Governance and through the IGF, we’ve been able to learn quite a lot and mostly in policy formulations. We were now able to get ministries in-house and we’re able to actually give them what the world is doing. So that government ministries can push further a field as compared to where they were in the past. So I think in my case is better communication, better implementation. As I said, we’re seeing changes today as opposed to last year when we were sitting on such a platform. We weren’t able to give out as much information as we were able to. But now through such initiatives, we’ve learned a lot. We’ve been able to actually give out a lot to fellow government employees who have not had an opportunity to come here.

Seletar Tselekhwa: Thank you so much, Mr. Mafete. Thank you so much. Yes, Togo?

Audience: Good afternoon. My name is Togo Mia. I’m from South Africa. And I serve on South Africa’s Internet Governance Forum as well, multi-stakeholder committee. For me, I’m also a representative of the civil society. We have a skills institution, technology skills institution in South Africa that’s predominantly working with women and girls from rural and underserved, under-connected areas. So your townships and your Cape Flats areas like this. So from my perspective, I really am curious because I know, Honorable, you mentioned the project you have with the ambassadors in rural areas and the skills and the teaching. I was hoping that you can highlight some more frameworks that you’re using and that one in being able to bridge the connectivity gap. Number one, especially where youth are concerned in providing them affordable access, affordable connectivity. And then also, again, in terms of the skills, and also whether you are able or open to collaboration around these particular activities and engagements. How can we as SDPs and SA connect with you?

Seletar Tselekhwa: Thanks so much, Togo.

Nthati Moorosi: Okay. I think, Togo, you are already raising up your hand to collaborate with us in upskilling our women. Men have said eloquently that the biggest gap is with women, gender disparity that we need to close. And just to say that we would like to learn more from you on the skills institution for women. It’s something that we can easily emulate. South Africa is our neighbor. We can learn from you easily. We would like to share more on that. The other questions I think men have been saying you want to maybe talk to. Thank you.

Nthabiseng Pule: Thank you. I’ll talk to the question of connectivity, affordability of connectivity for youth. Youth is a large spectrum. Some of them are still in school. Some are out of school. The ones still in school get discounted vouchers from the mobile network operators for mobile Internet access. These agreements are done between the Ministry of Education and the service providers. What happens is every student, when they go to buy their data, there’s some identification that they use so that it can be known that they are that category and they can get discounted airtime data. But for the rest of the youth, we are still scratching our heads to say how do we make sure that other youth, the youth out of school, have equal access to digital connectivity. And it’s not just about the data. It’s also about the devices. Youth need the devices. I’ll give you an example. Last year when we were having the local IGF organized, we had some demonstrating and through conversations with them how they managed to develop the system. And you look at the laptop, you see that it has arrived at its end of life. And you wish they could get another one. And you’re like, when are you getting a new laptop? This one is no longer fit. And they say, even this one is borrowed. I need, definitely to be productive, I need a new laptop. But how I get it, I do not know. So those are the kind of questions that we are grappling with. How do we ensure that youth who would otherwise be productive have access to devices? We can negotiate airtime for them, but how do they get the devices? It’s a big question for us. Because in our last study, 2023 household study assessing access to devices, less than 5% of the population have access to a laptop. And that includes youth. Thank you.

Seletar Tselekhwa: Okay, thank you so much. She can speak the whole day and I think you can catch her after the session. Okay. First of all, we need to thank the IGF Secretariat, everyone who is in here. You’re all champions and we are ready to work with you as the country Lesotho. Because Lesotho, we are saying, we want you to come together as a country to say, let’s come together and work together. Thank you so much for the opportunity. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Agreement points

Need for partnerships and multi-stakeholder collaboration

Speakers

– Nthati Moorosi
– Kanono Ramasamule
– Seletar Tselekhwa
– Nthabiseng Pule

Arguments

Building a connected, secure, inclusive and resilient Lesotho by 2030 with focus on digital payments, digital identity, and unlocking opportunities for all citizens

Partnerships with India’s Ministry of Electronics and ICT, European Union support for digital blueprints development with Estonia

Need for multi-stakeholder engagement and partnerships to achieve digital transformation goals rather than working in silos

UNDP partnership for setting up training centers in 40 villages with digital champions to train women, youth, and people with disabilities

Summary

All speakers emphasized that Lesotho’s digital transformation cannot be achieved in isolation and requires extensive partnerships with international organizations, governments, and development partners. They consistently called for collaborative approaches rather than working in silos.

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory

Digital skills development as critical priority

Speakers

– Kanono Ramasamule
– Nthabiseng Pule

Arguments

Digital literacy programs being implemented through universal service fund targeting teachers who will teach children and parents

Significant gender digital skills gap exists with women being less digitally skilled compared to men

Only 14% of population has moderate digital skills while majority have very low skills, requiring massive capacity building efforts

Summary

Both speakers identified digital skills development as a fundamental challenge requiring targeted interventions. They agreed on the need for comprehensive capacity building programs, particularly focusing on vulnerable populations including women and youth.

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Infrastructure achievements and remaining challenges

Speakers

– Kanono Ramasamule
– Nthabiseng Pule

Arguments

Lesotho now has 100% broadband coverage but faces challenges with affordability and access to devices

As a landlocked country, Lesotho relies on partnerships with South Africa and satellite services for international connectivity, including shareholding in submarine cables

Less than 5% of the population has access to laptops, creating significant barriers for youth productivity and digital participation

Summary

Both speakers acknowledged Lesotho’s infrastructure progress while highlighting persistent challenges in affordability and device access. They agreed that achieving connectivity coverage is only the first step, with accessibility remaining a major barrier.

Topics

Infrastructure | Development

Similar viewpoints

All three government representatives shared a unified vision for Lesotho’s digital transformation, emphasizing comprehensive strategic approaches that require collaborative implementation across multiple sectors and stakeholders.

Speakers

– Nthati Moorosi
– Kanono Ramasamule
– Seletar Tselekhwa

Arguments

Building a connected, secure, inclusive and resilient Lesotho by 2030 with focus on digital payments, digital identity, and unlocking opportunities for all citizens

Digital transformation strategy anchored on five pillars: enabling environment, digital government, digital infrastructure, digital population skills, and digital business

Need for multi-stakeholder engagement and partnerships to achieve digital transformation goals rather than working in silos

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory

Both speakers emphasized the importance of proper policy frameworks and legislative processes for digital transformation, highlighting the need for careful policy development and international learning to ensure effective implementation.

Speakers

– Kanono Ramasamule
– Lekhotsa Mafethe

Arguments

Cabinet approval of National Digital Transformation Strategy and development of ICT governance framework

Need to separate cyber security and computer crimes bills to address each on its own merits without overshadowing

Learning from international parliamentary networks like APNIC and Internet School of Governance to improve policy formulation and implementation

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development

Both speakers recognized the critical importance of addressing digital skills gaps through targeted programs, particularly focusing on vulnerable populations and using cascading training approaches to maximize impact.

Speakers

– Kanono Ramasamule
– Nthabiseng Pule

Arguments

Digital literacy programs being implemented through universal service fund targeting teachers who will teach children and parents

Significant gender digital skills gap exists with women being less digitally skilled compared to men

UNDP partnership for setting up training centers in 40 villages with digital champions to train women, youth, and people with disabilities

Topics

Development | Human rights

Unexpected consensus

Parliamentary digital transformation as integral to national strategy

Speakers

– Lekhotsa Mafethe
– Kanono Ramasamule
– Seletar Tselekhwa

Arguments

Objectives to digitize Lesotho’s National Assembly to make it paperless and provide public access to parliamentary proceedings

Plans for remote participation capabilities, live streaming, digital voting, and electronic attendance systems for MPs

Cabinet approval of National Digital Transformation Strategy and development of ICT governance framework

Explanation

The comprehensive integration of parliamentary digitization into the national digital transformation strategy was unexpected, showing remarkable alignment between legislative and executive branches. The parliament’s advanced digital plans, including remote participation and live streaming, demonstrate sophisticated understanding of digital governance possibilities.

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Sociocultural

Pragmatic approach to implementation despite capacity constraints

Speakers

– Nthabiseng Pule
– Kanono Ramasamule

Arguments

Only 14% of population has moderate digital skills while majority have very low skills, requiring massive capacity building efforts

UNDP partnership for setting up training centers in 40 villages with digital champions to train women, youth, and people with disabilities

Digital literacy programs being implemented through universal service fund targeting teachers who will teach children and parents

Explanation

Despite acknowledging severe capacity constraints and limited resources, both speakers demonstrated consensus on proceeding with practical implementation rather than waiting for ideal conditions. This pragmatic approach of ‘starting work then refining’ shows mature understanding of development challenges.

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion revealed strong consensus across all speakers on Lesotho’s digital transformation vision, the critical need for partnerships, the importance of addressing digital skills gaps, and the pragmatic approach to implementation despite resource constraints. There was remarkable alignment between government, parliament, and international development partners on strategic priorities and implementation approaches.

Consensus level

Very high level of consensus with no significant disagreements identified. This strong alignment suggests well-coordinated national digital transformation efforts with clear buy-in from multiple stakeholders. The implications are positive for implementation success, as the unified vision and collaborative approach provide a solid foundation for achieving the 2030 digital transformation goals. The consensus also demonstrates effective multi-stakeholder engagement in practice, which bodes well for sustainable and inclusive digital development in Lesotho.

Different viewpoints

Approach to cybersecurity and computer crimes legislation

Speakers

– Lekhotsa Mafethe

Arguments

Need to separate cyber security and computer crimes bills to address each on its own merits without overshadowing

Summary

The parliamentary committee, through multi-stakeholder engagement, determined that previously bundled cybersecurity and computer crimes bills should be separated into distinct legislation. This represents a shift from the original government approach of handling these as combined legislation.

Topics

Cybersecurity | Legal and regulatory

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion showed remarkable consensus among speakers with minimal disagreements. The main area of disagreement was procedural, involving the parliamentary approach to cybersecurity legislation. Most differences were complementary rather than contradictory, with speakers offering different perspectives on shared challenges.

Disagreement level

Very low level of disagreement. The speakers demonstrated strong alignment on goals and strategies for digital transformation. The few differences that emerged were primarily about implementation approaches rather than fundamental disagreements about objectives. This high level of consensus suggests strong coordination among government, parliament, and international partners, which bodes well for successful implementation of Lesotho’s digital transformation strategy.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

All three government representatives shared a unified vision for Lesotho’s digital transformation, emphasizing comprehensive strategic approaches that require collaborative implementation across multiple sectors and stakeholders.

Speakers

– Nthati Moorosi
– Kanono Ramasamule
– Seletar Tselekhwa

Arguments

Building a connected, secure, inclusive and resilient Lesotho by 2030 with focus on digital payments, digital identity, and unlocking opportunities for all citizens

Digital transformation strategy anchored on five pillars: enabling environment, digital government, digital infrastructure, digital population skills, and digital business

Need for multi-stakeholder engagement and partnerships to achieve digital transformation goals rather than working in silos

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory

Both speakers emphasized the importance of proper policy frameworks and legislative processes for digital transformation, highlighting the need for careful policy development and international learning to ensure effective implementation.

Speakers

– Kanono Ramasamule
– Lekhotsa Mafethe

Arguments

Cabinet approval of National Digital Transformation Strategy and development of ICT governance framework

Need to separate cyber security and computer crimes bills to address each on its own merits without overshadowing

Learning from international parliamentary networks like APNIC and Internet School of Governance to improve policy formulation and implementation

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development

Both speakers recognized the critical importance of addressing digital skills gaps through targeted programs, particularly focusing on vulnerable populations and using cascading training approaches to maximize impact.

Speakers

– Kanono Ramasamule
– Nthabiseng Pule

Arguments

Digital literacy programs being implemented through universal service fund targeting teachers who will teach children and parents

Significant gender digital skills gap exists with women being less digitally skilled compared to men

UNDP partnership for setting up training centers in 40 villages with digital champions to train women, youth, and people with disabilities

Topics

Development | Human rights

Key takeaways

Lesotho has developed a comprehensive Digital Transformation Strategy with five pillars (enabling environment, digital government, digital infrastructure, digital population skills, and digital business) aimed at building a connected, secure, inclusive and resilient nation by 2030

The country has achieved 100% broadband coverage but faces significant challenges with affordability, device access (less than 5% have laptops), and digital skills gaps, particularly affecting women who are less digitally skilled than men

Multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential for success – government cannot achieve digital transformation working in silos and needs partnerships with international organizations, neighboring countries, and development partners

Parliament is undergoing its own digital transformation with plans for paperless operations, remote participation, live streaming, and digital voting systems

As a landlocked country, Lesotho has successfully addressed connectivity challenges through partnerships with South Africa, shareholding in submarine cables, and satellite services, demonstrating that geographic constraints can be overcome

Significant policy framework development is underway including AI policy, data management policy, cybersecurity legislation, and DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure) implementation with support from international partners like India and Estonia

Resolutions and action items

Government data network upgrade contract to be concluded early next week

EU-supported workshop with Estonia government on digital blueprints to begin in six weeks

Expansion of connectivity to councils and district administrator offices planned for third quarter

Cybersecurity bills to be approved by parliament by end of financial year

Digital agency establishment contract with consultant to be concluded to focus specifically on digital transformation implementation

GIGA mapping and financing model to be completed with Ministry of Education

Cross-border ID verification and data exchange testing to begin with South Africa

National addressing system implementation to start by end of year or early next year instead of waiting until 2026

40 village digital champion training centers to be established through UNDP partnership focusing on women, youth, and people with disabilities

Unresolved issues

How to provide affordable device access, particularly laptops, to youth and general population when less than 5% currently have access

How to ensure affordable connectivity for out-of-school youth (while in-school students receive discounted data vouchers)

Funding constraints limiting digital skills training to only 40 villages instead of nationwide coverage

Need for technical skills development among government implementers and public servants

Separation and individual treatment of cybersecurity and computer crimes bills which are currently bundled together

Scaling up electricity access beyond current 10 mini-grids serving 10,000 households to reach 75-100% population coverage by 2030

How to ensure entire population readiness to receive government services through digital channels

Suggested compromises

Starting digital skills training with 40 villages as a pilot instead of attempting nationwide coverage immediately due to funding constraints

Using teachers as intermediaries for digital literacy – training teachers who will teach children, who will then teach their parents

Targeting councils and schools as platforms for people without devices to access internet and government services

Setting 75% electricity access as official target while keeping 100% as aspirational goal

Beginning cross-border digital initiatives with South Africa first before expanding to other regional countries

Separating cybersecurity and computer crimes bills to allow each to be addressed on its own merits rather than one overshadowing the other

We believe DPI can implement the digital protocol at scale and securely using DPIs… We view as Lesotho that the implementation of this protocol lies solely on implementation of DPI.

Speaker

Kanono Ramasamule

Reason

This comment is insightful because it connects Lesotho’s national digital transformation strategy to continental African integration through the Africa Continental Free Trade Area’s digital trade protocol. It demonstrates strategic thinking about how local digital infrastructure can serve broader regional economic goals.

Impact

This comment elevated the discussion from national-level digitization to regional integration, showing how Lesotho’s DPI approach could facilitate cross-border trade and cooperation. It set the stage for later discussions about cross-border partnerships and collaboration.

It is quite essentially important for us to realize that human intervention and AI, I believe, should coexist for generations to come since neither can operate without the other. It will not be an ideal situation where inter-probability is left out of the equation by both machine and man.

Speaker

Lekhotsa Mafethe

Reason

This philosophical reflection on AI-human coexistence is thought-provoking because it addresses fundamental concerns about technology displacement while advocating for complementary relationships. Coming from a parliamentarian, it shows legislative awareness of AI governance challenges.

Impact

This comment shifted the discussion from purely technical implementation to ethical and philosophical considerations of digital transformation. It introduced the concept of balanced technology adoption and influenced the conversation toward more nuanced thinking about AI integration in governance.

We have tentatively agreed with them that while 75 percent will not be removed from the books the target will be 100 percent on our minds… But if we are talking about an entire population where 14 percent have what we call moderate skills and the majority have very low skills you can understand the magnitude of the problem.

Speaker

Nthabiseng Pule

Reason

This comment is insightful because it reveals the tension between ambitious goals and practical constraints, while providing concrete data about the digital skills gap. It demonstrates honest assessment of challenges while maintaining ambitious vision.

Impact

This comment grounded the discussion in reality by providing specific statistics about digital literacy challenges. It shifted the conversation toward practical implementation challenges and the need for realistic timelines, influencing subsequent discussions about partnership needs and funding requirements.

We need to unbound both bills and let each bill have its own policies and merits on its own side so that we can define with ease each own merits for public consumptions without the other overshadowing the other.

Speaker

Lekhotsa Mafethe

Reason

This comment demonstrates sophisticated understanding of legislative strategy and stakeholder engagement. It shows how complex digital governance issues require careful policy separation to ensure proper public discourse and avoid conflating different concerns.

Impact

This comment introduced the complexity of digital governance legislation and the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement in policy development. It highlighted the parliamentary perspective on balancing cybersecurity, digital rights, and public participation in the legislative process.

And you look at the laptop, you see that it has arrived at its end of life… And they say, even this one is borrowed. I need, definitely to be productive, I need a new laptop. But how I get it, I do not know.

Speaker

Nthabiseng Pule

Reason

This vivid anecdote powerfully illustrates the device access challenge facing youth in Lesotho. It transforms abstract policy discussions into human reality, showing how digital divide affects individual productivity and potential.

Impact

This personal story shifted the discussion from policy frameworks to human impact, making the challenges more tangible and urgent. It prompted deeper consideration of the practical barriers to digital inclusion and influenced the conversation toward finding concrete solutions for device access.

Overall assessment

These key comments shaped the discussion by elevating it from a simple presentation of government initiatives to a nuanced exploration of digital transformation challenges and opportunities. The comments introduced multiple dimensions – regional integration, ethical AI governance, realistic goal-setting, legislative complexity, and human impact – that transformed what could have been a routine policy presentation into a comprehensive dialogue about sustainable digital development. The progression from technical implementation details to philosophical considerations and human stories created a more holistic understanding of Lesotho’s digital transformation journey, while the honest acknowledgment of challenges alongside ambitious goals demonstrated mature policy thinking that likely enhanced the credibility of Lesotho’s call for international partnerships.

How can other African countries learn from and emulate Lesotho’s digital transformation initiatives, particularly given their success as a landlocked country?

Speaker

Professor Abdukarim from University of Illinois in Nigeria

Explanation

This question seeks to understand best practices that can be replicated across Africa, particularly for countries facing similar geographical challenges

What are the specific successes and impacts of the Giga project on ordinary people’s lives in Africa?

Speaker

Professor Abdukarim from University of Illinois in Nigeria

Explanation

Many African countries want to participate in the Giga project but need concrete evidence of its effectiveness and real-world impact before committing resources

How can youth out of school gain affordable access to digital connectivity and devices beyond the current programs for students?

Speaker

Nthabiseng Pule (UNDP)

Explanation

While students receive discounted data vouchers, there’s no clear solution for out-of-school youth who also need digital access for productivity and opportunities

What frameworks and approaches are being used to bridge the connectivity gap, particularly for affordable access for youth?

Speaker

Togo Mia from South Africa

Explanation

Understanding specific methodologies could enable cross-border collaboration and knowledge sharing between South Africa and Lesotho

How can civil society organizations and skills institutions collaborate with Lesotho’s digital transformation initiatives?

Speaker

Togo Mia from South Africa

Explanation

There’s interest in establishing partnerships between South African institutions working with women and girls and Lesotho’s similar programs

How can the gender digital skills gap be effectively addressed through the proposed village-based training centers?

Speaker

Nthabiseng Pule (UNDP)

Explanation

The study found significant gender disparities in digital skills, requiring targeted interventions and measurement of effectiveness

How can Lesotho ensure device accessibility for youth and citizens who cannot afford laptops and other digital devices?

Speaker

Nthabiseng Pule (UNDP)

Explanation

With less than 5% of the population having access to laptops, device accessibility remains a critical barrier to digital inclusion

What specific partnerships and support mechanisms are needed to scale up digital transformation initiatives beyond current funding limitations?

Speaker

Multiple speakers (Minister Nthati Moorosi, Kanono Ramasamule, Nthabiseng Pule)

Explanation

Several speakers emphasized the need for partnerships and funding to expand programs from pilot phases to national scale