Update on AfriNIC's Legal and Governance Situation

Kyle Spencer kyle at stormzero.com
Wed Apr 30 18:30:00 SAST 2025 

Dear Members,

[ La traduction française est ci-dessous ]

I am writing to provide an important update regarding AfriNIC, the
organisation responsible for managing Africa’s Internet number resources.

Following recent developments in the Mauritian courts, a newly appointed
receiver has announced the upcoming AfriNIC Board of Directors elections,
scheduled to take place from June 16 to 23, 2025.

The purpose of these elections is to reconstitute AfriNIC’s board and
restore the organisation’s ability to operate effectively after a prolonged
period of disruption caused by legal challenges.

Please find the official communique from AfriNIC attached, which includes
full details on the election process and participation requirements.

As many of you are AfriNIC members in good standing, your organisations are
eligible to vote in this election. However, it is essential to note that
the voting process includes several important administrative steps that
must be completed to ensure your vote is counted.

Key requirements for e-voting include:

- A duly signed letter from an authorised representative of your
organisation designating your e-voting representative, including their full
name and contact details;

- A notarial certificate accompanying the letter;

- An email address for the designated voter from your organisation’s domain
to receive the secured e-voting link;

- A scanned copy of up-to-date identification for the designated voter
(e.g. passport or driver’s license).

All of the above must be submitted via email to elections2025 at afrinic.net
no later than 23:59 (Mauritius time) on Monday, June 2, 2025.

In-person and proxy voting options are also available. Please refer to the
attached communique for the full details.

Given the context of AfriNIC’s challenges in recent years, it is critical
that we, as responsible stakeholders in Africa’s Internet ecosystem,
actively participate in these elections. There is a risk that some
candidates may not share our collective vision for AfriNIC. We must also
remain vigilant against potential irregularities, including unauthorised
voting, so we strongly encourage all eligible members to complete the
required steps and cast their vote.

Please circulate this information within your respective networks and
memberships, especially where voting rights may exist. If you have any
questions or require support in navigating the process, feel free to reach
out.

Regards,
Kyle Spencer
Executive Director
African IXP Association (AFIX)



[ Traduction française ]


Chers membres,

Je vous écris pour vous fournir une mise à jour importante concernant
AfriNIC, l'organisation responsable de la gestion des ressources de numéros
Internet en Afrique.

À la suite de récents développements dans les tribunaux mauriciens, un
nouvel administrateur judiciaire a été nommé et a annoncé la tenue des
prochaines élections du Conseil d’administration d’AfriNIC, prévues du 16
au 23 juin 2025.

Ces élections ont pour objectif de reconstituer le conseil et de rétablir
la capacité opérationnelle de l’organisation, après une longue période de
perturbation due à des litiges juridiques.

Veuillez trouver ci-joint le communiqué officiel d’AfriNIC, qui contient
tous les détails sur le processus électoral et les conditions de
participation.

Puisque bon nombre d’entre vous sont des membres actifs d’AfriNIC, vos
organisations sont éligibles pour voter lors de cette élection. Toutefois,
il est essentiel de noter que le processus de vote comprend plusieurs
étapes administratives importantes à respecter afin de garantir que votre
vote soit pris en compte.

Les principales exigences pour le vote électronique sont les suivantes :

   -

   Une lettre signée par un représentant autorisé de votre organisation
   désignant votre représentant au vote électronique, incluant son nom complet
   et ses coordonnées ;
   -

   Un certificat notarié accompagnant cette lettre ;
   -

   Une adresse e-mail du représentant votant, appartenant au domaine de
   votre organisation, pour recevoir le lien de vote sécurisé ;
   -

   Une copie scannée d’une pièce d’identité à jour du votant désigné (par
   exemple, passeport ou permis de conduire).

Tous les documents ci-dessus doivent être envoyés par e-mail à
elections2025 at afrinic.net au plus tard le lundi 2 juin 2025 à 23h59 (heure
de Maurice).

Des options de vote en personne ou par procuration sont également
disponibles. Veuillez consulter le communiqué en pièce jointe pour plus de
détails.

Compte tenu des défis qu’AfriNIC a rencontrés ces dernières années, il est
essentiel que nous participions activement à ces élections, en tant
qu’acteurs responsables de l’écosystème Internet africain. Il existe un
risque que certains candidats ne partagent pas notre vision commune pour
AfriNIC. Nous devons également rester vigilants face aux éventuelles
irrégularités, notamment en ce qui concerne les votes non autorisés. C’est
pourquoi nous encourageons vivement tous les membres éligibles à compléter
les démarches requises et à exercer leur droit de vote.

Merci de diffuser cette information au sein de vos réseaux et membres
respectifs, en particulier là où des droits de vote existent. Si vous avez
des questions ou avez besoin d’assistance pour naviguer dans le processus,
n’hésitez pas à nous contacter.

Cordialement,
Kyle Spencer
Directeur exécutif
Association Africaine des Points d'Échange Internet (AFIX)




On Fri, Mar 28, 2025 at 7:31 PM Kyle Spencer <kyle at stormzero.com> wrote:

> Dear Members,
>
> [ La traduction française est ci-dessous ]
>
> I'm writing to provide some updates on the AfriNIC legal situation:
>
> 1) The court has replaced the official receiver, Mr. Virasami, after
> the deadline to reconstitute AfriNIC’s board of directors passed
> without progress.
>
> 2) The new receiver, Gowtamsingh Dabee (gdabee at gdriches.mu), sent an
> introductory e-mail to the AfrINIC mailing list on February 17, 2025
> and a subsequent update on March 28, 2025 in which he pledged to (a)
> provide a timeline for achieving the reconstitution within 2025 and
> (b) find short-term solutions that would enable the allocation of IP
> resources.
>
> 3) The Internet Service Providers Association of South Africa (ISPA)
> has issued a press release that warns its members to be vigilant about
> the security of their AFRINIC credentials following reported attempts
> to influence the organisation's governance structures. Unauthorised
> access to credentials could allow third parties to manipulate voting
> processes and alter policy decisions. ISPA advises members to keep
> their login details confidential and to report any suspicious
> activity:
> https://ispa.org.za/press_releases/ispa-urges-afrinic-members-protect-credentials/
>
> We encourage you to share the above with your members to help keep
> them informed.
>
> Regards,
> Kyle Spencer
>
>
> [ Traduction française ]
>
>
> Chers membres,
>
> Je vous écris pour vous fournir quelques mises à jour supplémentaires
> sur la situation juridique d'AfriNIC :
>
> 1) Le tribunal a remplacé l'administrateur judiciaire, M. Virasami,
> après que la date limite pour la reconstitution du conseil
> d'administration d'AfriNIC est passée sans avancée.
>
> 2) Le nouvel administrateur, Gowtamsingh Dabee (gdabee at gdriches.mu), a
> envoyé un e-mail de présentation à la liste de diffusion d’AfriNIC le
> 17 février 2025, suivi d’une mise à jour le 28 mars 2025, dans
> laquelle il s’est engagé à (a) fournir un calendrier pour parvenir à
> la reconstitution d’ici 2025 et (b) trouver des solutions à court
> terme permettant l’allocation des ressources IP.
>
> 3) L'Internet Service Providers Association of South Africa (ISPA) a
> publié un communiqué de presse avertissant ses membres d’être
> vigilants quant à la sécurité de leurs identifiants AFRINIC, à la
> suite de tentatives signalées d’influence sur les structures de
> gouvernance de l’organisation. Un accès non autorisé aux identifiants
> pourrait permettre à des tiers de manipuler les processus de vote et
> de modifier les décisions politiques. L’ISPA conseille à ses membres
> de conserver leurs identifiants en toute confidentialité et de
> signaler toute activité suspecte :
>
> https://ispa.org.za/press_releases/ispa-urges-afrinic-members-protect-credentials/
>
> Nous vous encourageons à partager ces informations avec vos membres
> afin de les tenir informés.
>
> Cordialement,
> Kyle Spencer
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 20, 2024 at 9:02 AM Kyle Spencer <kyle at stormzero.com> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Members,
> >
> > We are writing to bring to your attention an important update regarding
> the ongoing legal and governance issues at AfriNIC.
> >
> > As many of you are aware, AfriNIC has been facing significant challenges
> due to legal actions that have left the organization incapacitated. On
> September 12, 2023, the courts in Mauritius appointed a receiver to oversee
> the reconstitution of AfriNIC’s board of directors, in accordance with its
> bylaws, within a two-month timeline.
> >
> > Unfortunately, during most of this period, the receiver remained
> unresponsive to member queries. Only recently, in response to a member's
> inquiry regarding an RFQ posted locally in Mauritius to find a service
> provider to execute this task, the receiver wrote to confirm that no RFQ
> submissions were received. With the two-month timeframe now passed, there
> remains no clear path forward for resolving the situation.
> >
> > We are sharing this update to raise awareness, as AfriNIC’s issues have
> an impact on the broader Internet community in Africa. If you would like to
> follow this matter more closely, we encourage you to join AfriNIC’s
> "members-discuss" mailing list to stay informed and engaged.
> >
> > We will continue to monitor developments and share updates as
> appropriate.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Kyle Spencer
> >
> >
> > --
> > Cell / WhatsApp / Signal: +256786350675
> >
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> > From: Noah <noah at neo.co.tz>
> > Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2024, 22:57
> > Subject: Re: [members-discuss] Court Update
> > To: AFRINIC Communication <comms at afrinic.net>
> > Cc: AfriNIC Discuss <members-discuss at afrinic.net>
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, 19 Nov 2024, 13:44 AFRINIC Communication via Members-Discuss, <
> members-discuss at afrinic.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> [Sent on behalf of the Official Receiver]
> >>
> >> Dear Members,
> >>
> >> I wish to bring to your attention that following the press advert,
> published in two local newspapers. I have not received any offer as at the
> closing date and I have not retained the services of any company to assist
> me in the election process.
> >>
> >> I rely on your understanding, cooperation and patience.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >>
> >> V. Virasami
> >> Official Receiver.
> >
> >
> >
> > Dear Mr V. Virasami
> >
> > Thank you for your email and response.
> >
> > As a followup query to you and in accordance with article (3.4)
> subsection (vii), the AFRINIC's Bylaws, a company for which you are an
> official receiver todate.
> >
> > Will you in your capacity as an officer appointed by the court ensure
> that you furnish and disseminate to all AFRINIC member's information on all
> matters affecting the Company AFRINIC Limited including matters of
> directors elections as enshrined in the AFRINIC constitution and are a
> prerogrative of AFRINIC resource members.
> >
> > Secondly, I take it that only about 100 resource members can recieve any
> such information published and disseminated on this very important
> members-discuss mailing forum.
> >
> > Please can you kindly acknowledge the fact that only those few hundred
> memnbers subscribed on this mailing list as reported recently, are the ones
> who have received communications made here electronically this far.
> >
> > That over 2000, resouce members of AFRINIC are not aware of matters
> affecting their organization and are clueless about any such communication
> posted herein and therefore are in total darkness.
> >
> >
> > Cheers
> > Noah
> >
> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> > On 15 Nov 2024, at 15:03, Noah <noah at neo.co.tz> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > Dear Mr V. Virasami
> >> >
> >> > As a followup to your email to concerned members. In accordance with
> article (3.4) subsection (vii), the AFRINIC's Bylaws, a company for which
> you are an official receiver, AFRINIC is supposed to disseminate among its
> member's information on all matters affecting the Company and its members
> and to provide for and be a central channel of communication for the
> members of the Company.
> >> >
> >> > As such, I would like to bring to the attention of AFRINIC resource
> members and your office, the attached gazetted publication which was
> published in the local newspapers in Mauritius in recent days. I take note
> that the AFRINIC service region spans a geographic region beyond the
> republic of Mauritius which is over 54 states and that over 2000+ resource
> members are not residents of the republic of Mauritius. Therefore, the only
> way they can know about matters affecting the Company, is when such matters
> are shared with all of them through AFRINIC communications channels.
> >> >
> >> > <Page 21.jpeg>
> >> >
> >> > In any case, I would like to know if there was any effort beyond
> Mauritius to inform all resource members across all 50+ states in AFRICA
> about the said publications considering the content of the publication.
> >> >
> >> > Cheers,
> >> > ./noah
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On Fri, Nov 15, 2024 at 1:27 PM AFRINIC Communication via
> Members-Discuss <members-discuss at afrinic.net> wrote:
> >> > [Sent on behalf of the Official Receiver]
> >> >
> >> > Dear Members,
> >> >
> >> > I acknowledge receipt of your concerns and want to reassure you that
> the AFRINIC election is still an ongoing concern and the Bylaws of AFRINIC
> will be respected.
> >> >
> >> > I appreciate your cooperation and will keep you updated in due course.
> >> >
> >> > Yours sincerely,
> >> > Mr V. Virasami
> >> > Official Receiver
> >> >
> >> > > On 14 Nov 2024, at 21:52, ALAIN AINA via Members-Discuss <
> members-discuss at afrinic.net> wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > Hi Colleagues,
> >> > >
> >> > > As we seek updates from the OR, it might be good to discuss among
> the members how best we expect this board reconstitution to be done
> following the court order.
> >> > >
> >> > > Find below some thoughts on the matter. Let hear from the members.
> >> > > ====
> >> > >
> >> > > On the 16th of October 2024, AFRINIC announced (1)the decision made
> by the Supreme Court of Mauritius to restore the previous order appointing
> the Official Receiver (OR) and providing the OR with a two-month
> >> > > timeframe to organise the elections in accordance with AFRINIC’s
> constitution and complete the entire process from the date of the judgment
> (15th October 2024).
> >> > >
> >> > > Considering the current constitution (2) of AFRINIC with his
> articles on appointing directors (6 regional, 2 independent) with NomCom
> and election committee,
> >> > >
> >> > > Considering the current situation of AFRINIC in which the community
> and the membership have been disengaged,
> >> > >
> >> > > Considering that the current constitution does not have provisions
> for renewing the board of directors in the scale of resetting the full
> board,
> >> > >
> >> > > Considering the fact that the 2-month period may not be sufficient
> to organise a fair and inclusive elections that match needs,
> >> > >
> >> > > Considering that at this point of time, the organization needs
> first to get back on track, comply with its various statutory obligations,
> the skills and expertise required for directors may be of governance, risk
> >> > > management, legal and compliance, restructuring, change management,
> and transformation (beyond those set at article 13.12 of the current
> bylaws) and which may not be gained through these elections,
> >> > >
> >> > > It is recommendable to the membership of AFRINIC to consider
> appointing an interim board for a period of 12 maximum 18 months with
> specific and clear mandate:
> >> > >
> >> > > - deal with emergency and urgent issues including bringing onboard
> an interim CEO
> >> > > - assess the status of the organization
> >> > > - engage the community regarding the outcomes of the assessment and
> the revamping the org (amendment of the bylaws.)
> >> > > - call for board normal elections according to the bylaws’ terms
> >> > >
> >> > > The appointment of an such specialized interim board could be done
> either by:
> >> > >
> >> > > a- Membership and community to vet a list of proposed qualified
> candidates, as it was done in 2001 to appoint the initial board (34).
> >> > > b- Membership to vote on a list of proposed qualified candidates
> >> > >
> >> > > Not fixing issues the right way, will bring back the status quo,
> which will be more catastrophic and unforgivable.
> >> > >
> >> > > The members and the regional Internet community will face a
> historical moment and opportunity to fix AFRINIC.
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > 1 https://afrinic.net/20241015
> >> > > 2 https://afrinic.net/bylaws#b20-7
> >> > > 3 https://afrinic.net/history
> >> > > 4 https://afrinic.net/board#previous
> >> > >
> >> > > ====
> >> > >
> >> > > —Alain
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >> On 14 Nov 2024, at 12:01, Seun Ojedeji <seun.ojedeji at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> > >>
> >> > >> Hi trying a different email address that receiver used to write to
> the list in the past.
> >> > >>
> >> > >> @Receiver I hope you will provide us with some useful update on
> status of the election preparations.
> >> > >>
> >> > >> Regards
> >> > >>
> >> > >> ----
> >> > >> Sent from my mobile
> >> > >> kindly excuse typos
> >> > >>
> >> > >> On Tue, 5 Nov 2024, 4:44 pm Seun Ojedeji, <seun.ojedeji at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> > >> Dear AFRINIC Comms,
> >> > >>
> >> > >> Can you kindly confirm if the receiver is subscribed on the
> AFRINIC members mailing list? If not can you advice on how the receiver can
> be directly reached so we can have update from him directly.
> >> > >>
> >> > >> Regards
> >> > >>
> >> > >> ----
> >> > >> Sent from my mobile
> >> > >> kindly excuse typos
> >> > >>
> >> > >> On Wed, 30 Oct 2024, 1:24 am AFRINIC Communication via
> Members-Discuss, <members-discuss at afrinic.net> wrote:
> >> > >> Dear AFRINIC Members,
> >> > >>
> >> > >> We wish to inform you that the Official Receiver, Mr. Virasami,
> will be communicating directly with members in due course regarding matters
> related to AFRINIC elections.
> >> > >>
> >> > >> We appreciate your patience and cooperation in this matter.
> >> > >>
> >> > >> AFRINIC Communication
> >> > >>
> >> > >>> On 29 Oct 2024, at 14:46, Mark Elkins <mark at posix.co.za> wrote:
> >> > >>>
> >> > >>> I agree with you Seun - what is happening? Where are the Election
> announcements - etc.
> >> > >>> On 2024/10/29 12:09, Seun Ojedeji wrote:
> >> > >>>> Dear AFRINIC(to whom it may concern)
> >> > >>>>
> >> > >>>> Based on this announcement, I was expecting to read update from
> the receiver on the election process by now.
> >> > >>>>
> >> > >>>> Can the receiver kindly provide update on the election process
> since the 2 months countdown period already started?
> >> > >>>>
> >> > >>>> Regards
> >> > >>>>
> >> > >>>> ----
> >> > >>>> Sent from my mobile
> >> > >>>> kindly excuse typos
> >> > >>>>
> >> > >>>> On Wed, 16 Oct 2024, 7:11 am AFRINIC Communication via
> Members-Discuss, <members-discuss at afrinic.net> wrote:
> >> > >>>> Dear colleagues,
> >> > >>>>
> >> > >>>> The Supreme Court of Mauritius made the following ruling on 15
> October 2024.
> >> > >>>>
> >> > >>>> The ruling sets aside the appeal initiated by AFRINIC on 28
> September 2023 and restores the judgement made by the learned Judge of the
> Commercial Division of the Supreme Court delivered on 12 September 2023.
> >> > >>>>
> >> > >>>> This ruling also restores the previous order appointing the
> Official Receiver and providing the Official Receiver with a two-month
> timeframe to organise the elections in accordance with AFRINIC’s
> constitution and complete the entire process from the date of this
> judgement.
> >> > >>>>
> >> > >>>> On Behalf of the Official Receiver
> >> > >>>> _______________________________________________
> >> > >>>> Members-Discuss mailing list
> >> > >>>> Members-Discuss at afrinic.net
> >> > >>>> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/members-discuss
> >> > >>>>
> >> > >>>> _______________________________________________
> >> > >>>> Members-Discuss mailing list
> >> > >>>> Members-Discuss at afrinic.net
> >> > >>>> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/members-discuss
> >> > >>>>
> >> > >>> --
> >> > >>> Mark James ELKINS  -  Posix Systems - (South) Africa
> >> > >>> mje at posix.co.za       Tel: +27.826010496
> >> > >>> For fast, reliable, low cost Internet in ZA:
> https://ftth.posix.co.za
> >> > >>>
> >> > >>> <abessive_logo.jpg><QR-MJElkins.png>
> >> > >>
> >> > >> _______________________________________________
> >> > >> Members-Discuss mailing list
> >> > >> Members-Discuss at afrinic.net
> >> > >> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/members-discuss
> >> > >> _______________________________________________
> >> > >> Members-Discuss mailing list
> >> > >> Members-Discuss at afrinic.net
> >> > >> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/members-discuss
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > _______________________________________________
> >> > > Members-Discuss mailing list
> >> > > Members-Discuss at afrinic.net
> >> > > https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/members-discuss
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > Members-Discuss mailing list
> >> > Members-Discuss at afrinic.net
> >> > https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/members-discuss
> >> > <OR Publication in Mauritius Newspaper.pdf><Page 21.pdf>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Members-Discuss mailing list
> >> Members-Discuss at afrinic.net
> >> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/members-discuss
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Members-Discuss mailing list
> > Members-Discuss at afrinic.net
> > https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/members-discuss
>
>
>
> --
> Cell / WhatsApp / Signal: +256786350675
>


-- 
Cell / WhatsApp / Signal: +256786350675

--
Cell / WhatsApp / Signal: +256786350675
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