ACJ silences complaining magistrates

Staff Reporter

MASERU – Acting Chief Justice ’Maseforo Mahase has ordered members of the Judicial Officers Association of Lesotho (JOALE) to refrain from communicating with the media without her approval.

Justice Mahase made the directive yesterday, quashing a press conference that had been organised by JOALE.

The association’s secretary general Magistrate Masupha Kao yesterday said the order came earlier that morning through Acting Registrar of the High Court and the Appeal Court Advocate Ponts’o Phafoli at the behest of Justice Mahase.

Although Kao could not be drawn to explain the purpose of the aborted press conference, this is the third week in which magistrates from across the country have embarked on a go-slow campaign over among others, low salaries, poor working conditions and lack of resources in the work place.

JOALE wrote a letter on April 5 to Justice Mahase informing her that their go-slow campaign would only stop when their demands had been met. The members of the association also requested the Acting Chief Justice to intervene in their long-standing work related problems.