Abuja – Eswatini and Lesotho are among five Southern African countries newly elected to the Administrative Council of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), a move that gives the region a stronger hand in shaping the continent’s digital future.
The two Kingdoms were voted onto the Council alongside Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe during the Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26), which was tasked with choosing the countries that will represent the Southern African Region. For Lesotho, the election marks the first time the country has secured a seat on the ATU Administrative Council.
Lesotho’s bid was led by its Minister of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Nthati Moorosi. The country’s Principal Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Kanono Ramashamole, thanked the Member States of Southern Africa for the confidence placed in the Kingdom and pledged that Lesotho would carry out its duties with diligence, professionalism and accountability. 
Lesotho’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the African Union, H.E. Nts’iuoa Sekete, described the outcome as a marker of the country’s rising standing in continental digital governance.
“This election is a vote of confidence in Lesotho’s commitment to Africa’s digital future. It reflects years of deliberate engagement and positions our country to contribute meaningfully to shaping policies that promote connectivity, innovation and inclusive digital transformation across the continent. Lesotho will serve with humility, professionalism and a strong commitment to advancing Africa’s shared digital aspirations,” Ambassador Sekete said.
Lesotho was represented at CPL-26 by Ramashamole, who led a delegation that included officials from the Ministry and the Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA).
The election came after sustained national efforts in recent years, among them the ratification of the ATU Constitution and Convention, the fulfilment of Lesotho’s membership obligations, and the country’s hosting of the First African Preparatory Meeting for the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27 APM-1).
As Council members, the elected states will help steer the strategic direction and governance of the ATU, feeding into continental decisions on digital connectivity, spectrum management, emerging technologies, digital inclusion, institutional governance and the rollout of Africa’s digital agenda.
Lesotho will be represented on the Council by Ramashamole, a telecommunications engineer with extensive experience in ICT policy and digital transformation. The Kingdom said his appointment brings technical expertise and policy leadership to the Council’s work.
Drawing on its experience as a small, landlocked country that has achieved wide broadband coverage despite difficult terrain, Lesotho said it would push for practical solutions that advance meaningful connectivity, strengthen digital public infrastructure, promote cybersecurity and artificial intelligence governance, and ensure that no African is left behind in the digital economy.
The Conference also elected Eng. Kesiaz Mwale of Zambia as Secretary-General of the ATU for the 2027 to 2030 term. Lesotho congratulated Mwale and said it looked forward to working with his leadership to speed up Africa’s digital transformation.
Lesotho said it remains committed to serving as an active, constructive and implementation focused member of the ATU Administrative Council, and to justifying the confidence placed in it by the Southern African Region.
