MASERU – THE Minister of Communications, Science and Technology Nthati Moorosi has set her sights on transforming Lesotho’s media landscape.
“There are worrying gaps in Lesotho’s media industry and I intend to plug them,” she says, adding that some media institutions are plagued by impropriety that has to be dealt with.
Part of her plan to improve professionalism in the media involves massive training of journalists and her ministry is sending 160 journalists for an immediate training programme.
The training programme is expected to run for six months and is set to start in the 2023/ 24 financial year.
Her ministry has also already met with radio station owners to map a way forward.
Moorosi says she joined politics so that she could contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.
Moorosi was elected as MP for Thetsane constituency on the ticket of Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s Revolution For Prosperity (RFP) party during last year’s elections that saw big political parties and individuals dumped by voters.
As an MP and a Cabinet minister, Moorosi wants to ensure the promulgation of laws and implementation of policies that protect women and girl children – apart from her work to improve the media landscape.
She said one of her first assignments as an MP is to wage war against Gender Based Violence (GBV).
She says people should be treated equally before the law, including those from economically challenged backgrounds.
Worried by the brutal killings of women and girls and other forms of GBV, Moorosi wants to push for laws that protect women.
She called for harsher sentences for those who are behind the killings and abuse of women and girls.
“There should be strong laws to punish people who kill with impunity,” Moorosi said.
Throughout the interview at Parliament buildings, Moorosi did not mince her words on the need to fight for the economic emancipation of women.
“The voices of women should be heard in all corners of society. Lesotho is not a safe place for women right now,” Moorosi says.
She adds: “For a long time, women have been denied equal opportunities in a number of disciplines compared to their male counterparts. That should be a thing of the past. Collectively, women should change this trend that has been a norm for ages.”
Women, she argues, can become the driving force behind Lesotho’s economic revival if given a chance.
“All they need is to be empowered and be given equal opportunities like men, the economy could thrive. I want to see women taking part in the decision-making processes. Women have to take part in decisions that affect them. Women should take part in driving the economy. This should not be just theory. It should be practical,” she says.
Moorosi knows all about the struggles that women go through. Winning the Thetsane constituency from the once mighty All Basotho Convention (ABC) was no stroll in the park, a feat she says was even more difficult because of her gender.
“But I succeeded through sheer hard work and determination. As women, we have to soldier on to navigate a tough terrain dominated mostly by men who have a wealth of experience in politics.
Some of my competitors had big pockets to canvas for votes,” says Moorosi, who contested elections for the first time last year.
As Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, Moorosi wants to see women hold authoritative positions in media companies.
The holder of a Master’s degree in Media Studies from the University of Natal wants to see women take up positions as editors.
She says she also wants to see media houses moving from analogue to digital to give them a competitive edge.
Like in other countries, Moorosi wants to see Lesotho moving forward in innovations.
“When that happens, women should not be left behind and should get the same treatment as men,” she says, also expressing concern that media houses mostly ignore the rural population.
“The media covers news in Maseru and in towns whereas there are a lot of unreported stories in the rural areas. There are stories of women and girls who face abuse on a daily basis. They are subjected to abuse almost every time,” she says.
Also, there are women doing “fabulously good work” in rural areas but their work goes unnoticed because the media does not cover them (makes no effort to reach them), says Moorosi.
Before becoming an MP, Moorosi worked at different institutions like the National University of Lesotho (NUL) department of Marketing and Communications. She also worked as a lecturer at the NUL’s Institute of Extra-Mural Studies (IEMS) under the Mass Communications Programme.
Born and bred in Mazenod Ha-Paki in a family of four, Moorosi obtained a Degree in Humanities (English Language and Literature) from the National University of Lesotho in 1998 before obtaining a Master’s degree in Media Studies in KwaZulu-Natal in 2003.
Majara Molupe