WILL A SWATI JUDGE HELP IN LESOTHO CRISIS?

LUANDA, ANGOLA – Will the kingdom of eswatini nominate one of its experienced judges to assist in clearing the criminal justice backlog in Lesotho, that is posing a serious threat to security?

The question arose yesterday after a recommendation was submitted to Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) leaders by the secretariat, during the Double Troika summit attended by His Majesty the King. A progress report delivered at the Summit, noted an urgent need to normalise a volatile security situation that prevails in Lesotho, by bringing to trial all the security personnel implicated in various acts of murder, torture, bombings, attempted murder and treason, among others. Derailing the prosecution of the suspects is the fact that the Lesotho High Court has a backlog of more than 4 000 fresh matters to be dealt with by only 11 judges. It needs 10 more judges to cope. The Government of Lesotho has solicited financial assistance from the European Union, which has agreed to pay for the 10 judges needed from SADC member states.

“The trials of the army personnel suspected of criminal activities already in custody, should be expedited as their continued incarceration poses a security threat, in that they can mobilise easily and cause instability,” noted the Expanded Oversight Committee(EOC) which was deployed to assess the situation in Lesotho last year. The mountain kingdom has been beleaguered by internal turmoil as leaders of political formations jostle for power, which has seen the country security forces joining in the fray. As a result, SADC has had to step in to normalise the situation by helping the Basotho conduct their elections last year, which brought former exiled Prime Minister Thomas Thabane back into power.
A SADC preventative mission in the Kingdom of Lesotho (SAPMIL), with the support of various structures of SADC and the government, has largely been responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Comprehensive National Reforms as recommended by SADC.

In compliance, the Lesotho government has since adopted a roadmap entitled: “The Government we want: Dialogue and reforms for national transformation”. Nationwide consultations are underway, that will culminate in a multi-sectoral national dialogue that is hoped will address the root causes of the recurring political strife for the Basotho. SADC leaders were urged to extend the term of SAPMIL for another six months to ensure this reform process is carried out accordingly.

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