…18 shortlisted candidates to undergo interviews throughout this week
Mohalenyane Phakela
THE process to fill the eight vacant positions of High Court Judges is gathering momentum amid revelations that the country’s three chief magistrates and 15 other shortlisted candidates will undergo interviews from tomorrow until Friday.
They will be interviewed by the JSC panel which is made up of Chief Justice Sakoane Sakoane, High Court Judge Polo Banyane, Public Service Commission chairperson Moshoeshoe Sehloho and Attorney General Rapelang Motsieloa.
In her 8 February 2022 circular, Judicial Service Commission (JSC) secretary ‘Mathato Sekoai said the oral interviews will be held at AVANI Lesotho Hotel.
“At its 219th meeting held on 3 February 2022, the (JSC) Commission considered the applications and nominations and shortlisted 18 candidates who have met the shortlisting criteria published under the JSC circular dated 6 December 2021.
“Kindly take notice that the interviews for the shortlisted candidates will be held from 14 to 18 February 2022 at AVANI Maseru Hotel,” Advocate Sekoai states in her circular.
In the past, the judges’ recruitment was completely shrouded in secrecy and the successful candidates would only be known at the final stage when they were taking their oaths before His Majesty, King Letsie III.
However, Justice Sakoane has transformed things since taking the reins in November 2020. He has opted for greater transparency by revealing the names of shortlisted candidates and subjecting them to public interviews before the successful ones are appointed as judges.
This is the second time that the JSC will be conducting public interviews.
In August 2021, five hopefuls underwent public interviews at ‘Manthabiseng Convention Centre in August. The process culminated in the appointment of Justices Realeboha Mathaba and Fumane Khabo in October 2021.
Chief magistrates ‘Matankiso Nthunya, ‘Makampong Mokgoro and Manyathela Kolobe are among the 18 candidates who have been shortlisted for the eight judges’ posts by the Justice Sakoane Sakoane-headed JSC.
They were shortlisted alongside current ombudsman, Tšeliso Mokoko, as well as magistrates Itumeleng Letsika, Teboho Thoso, Monyake Hlabanyane, Peter Murenzi and Thamae Thame.
Other shortlisted candidates are prominent lawyer and academic, ‘Mabatšoeneng Hlaele, fellow prominent layer, Kuili Ndebele; Molemo Monethi; Hopolang Nathane; ‘Mafelile Ralebese; Tšeliso Bale; ‘Maliepollo Makhetha; Moneuoa Kopo and ‘Mamotšelisi Khiba.
Advocates Kopo and Khiba are having a second bite of the cherry and will be hoping for a change of fortunes this time around. The duo had initially been shortlisted for interviews when the JSC called for applications to fill two vacant posts last year. However, they lost out to Justices Mathaba and Khabo.
Adv Hlaele, Chief Magistrates Nthunya, Mokgoro, Kolobe and Ombudsman Mokoko were not even shortlisted the last time around. Their omission set tongues wagging and provoked furious protests by the magistrates and the Law Society of Lesotho.
From the eight who will be recruited as new judges, two will be posted to the T?ifa-li-mali Court Complex in Leribe which has been non-functional since its refurbishment last year due to the shortage of judges.
The other six will be posted to Maseru.
The appointment of the eight will help ease the shortage of judges which has resulted in a huge backlog of 4000-plus cases in the High Court.
Currently, the High Court has nine judges, namely, Justices Sakoane, Banyane, Mathaba, Khabo, Tšeliso Monapathi, ‘Maseforo Mahase, Molefi Makara, Moroke Mokhesi and Keketso Moahloli.