Yesterday, some Prosecutors at the court who opted for anonymity revealed that they are telling people who come to court for their cases and witnesses to go back home as Magistrates are still not attending to cases. They also explained that even the few that are trying to work, they conduct their business in their chambers and not in open courts and this is also being done at a slow pace. One of the Prosecutors further disclosed that, on Tuesday, some of the Court Clerks also joined the seemingly ongoing strike by not registering new cases, saying their actions have also exacerbated the situation.
Following the Chief Justice’s July 9 directive for all Magistrates countrywide to resume work with immediate effect after they went on strike seeking the government’s attention to address some of the issues they say affect their daily work, the directive seems to have landed on deaf ears. The Maseru Magistrate’s court rooms are still “empty” while people who visit the courts go back home unattended.
