Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE High Court has blocked the arbitrary transfer of 32 police officers. The officers, who are all based at the Maseru border post, rushed to court this week seeking an order interdicting Police Commissioner Holomo Molibeli from transferring them without a fair hearing.
On Monday, Justice ’Maseforo Mahase ruled that the officers should remain in their posts until the matter has been finalised. The police officers challenged their transfer arguing they had not been given a fair hearing.
The court granted an interim order that they should be restored to their duty stations pending finalisation of their case. The respondents are expected to file their arguments to the court by Monday to show cause, if any, why the transfers shall not be stayed and the status quo be maintained.
Commissioner Molibeli together with the police’s human resources officer and the District Commissioner of Maseru Urban are the respondents in the case.
The court ordered that they should also pay cost of suit. While the applicants were on duty on April 24, they were told to leave the post. They were instantly replaced by Special Operations Unit (SOU) officers.
The Lesotho Police Staff Association (Leposa) spokesman, Motlatsi Mofokeng, said the association instructed its lawyers to go to court after the officers were transferred.
“What happened there was a hostile takeover of the post,” Mofokeng, who was recently fired from the police, said.
He said this caused serious problems because some officers were heading to work while others were going back to their homes when all of a sudden the SOU members took over the post.
He said not too long ago the Commissioner also arbitrarily transferred Inspector ’Makatleho Mphetho from parliament to Mabote Police Station. He said Inspector Mphetho took the matter to the court where the court ruled in her favour.
He said the court found that Inspector Mphetho was not given a transfer hearing before being taken to Mabote. “It is unfortunate that the Commissioner is repeating the same mistake for the 32 applicants,” Mofokeng said.
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