05/09/2026
๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐๐ข๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฑ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ
TWO Lesotho High Court judges, ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ฒ๐๐ง๐, have been appointed as acting judges of Namibiaโs Supreme Court.
Their appointment by Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, on the recommendation of Namibiaโs Judicial Service Commission (JSC), was announced on Friday.
They will serve from September 1 to the end of December, adding another chapter to the longstanding judicial ties between Lesotho and Namibia.
Their appointment is a recognition not only of the individual judges but also of the standing of the Lesotho Judiciary in the region.
They follow in the footsteps of Lesothoโs Court of Appeal President, Professor Kananelo Mosito, who has also served on Namibiaโs Supreme Court and presided over high-profile matters, including the Fishrot-related recusal appeal.
The two jurisdictions have maintained close judicial relations, with Namibiaโs Deputy Chief Justice Petrus Damaseb serving as an acting judge of Lesothoโs Court of Appeal.
Justice Banyane, a member of Lesothoโs Judicial Service Commission, has more than two decades of judicial experience and has previously served in an acting capacity on Lesothoโs Court of Appeal.
Justice Mathaba, meanwhile, demonstrated his experience in handling complex and sensitive matters when he chaired the Commission of Inquiry into the Lesotho Correctional Service following the December 2023 prison escape.
The commission sat for 88 days and heard evidence from 197 witnesses before Mathaba handed its final report to Prime Minister Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane in June 2025. The report called for accountability and reforms within the correctional service.
The appointment of the two judges is therefore a significant moment for Lesothoโs Judiciary and a welcome recognition of the calibre, integrity and experience of its judges.
The Supreme Court of Namibia is the countryโs highest court, hearing appeals from lower courts and dealing with matters of significant constitutional and legal importance.
For the Lesotho Judiciary, the appointments are also an opportunity to showcase its judicial expertise beyond the countryโs borders.
They are a source of pride for Lesotho and a further testament to the growing cooperation between the two countriesโ judiciaries.
