In conversation with Mokitimi Tšosane and Hlengiwe Dube.

In 2022, The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria undertook a research and advocacy project that assessed the status of digital rights in Southern Africa. Guided by the report titled The Digital Rights Landscape in Southern Africa, the Centre embarked on a training and capacity-building workshop to enhance awareness and interest in digital rights among parliamentarians. This podcast series features various stakeholders who share their expertise on thematic areas covered during the training.  

In this episode, Mokitimi Tšosane and Hlengiwe Dube discuss the work of the Transformation Resource Centre (TRC) in advancing digital rights and highlights some of the challenges in the promotion and protection of human rights in the digital age in Lesotho. Mr Ts’osane also provides insight into the Computer Crimes and Cybersecurity Bill, particularly the contentious provisions that are likely to infringe fundamental rights such as freedom of expression. He proposes the adoption of a human rights-based approach to cybersecurity and regulating responses to computer crimes. 

Mokitimi Tšosane is an admitted advocate in the Courts of Lesotho currently serving as the Public Interest Litigation and Human Rights Officer at the Transformation Resource Centre (TRC) in the Human Rights and Access to Justice Department. He is also a Member of the Public Interest Litigation Committee of the Law Society of Lesotho. Since 2021, he has been leading the Transformation Resource Centre intervention in advocating for a cyber bill which strikes a balance between digital rights and freedoms vis-a-vis the state's security interests and law enforcement.

Hlengiwe Dube is a Project Manager of the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria.

This conversation was recorded 21 July 2023.

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