Lesotho Case Law

Ntjelo Petje & 6 Others V P.S Ministry of Forestry and Environment in RE: Moorosi Matela & 12 Others V The Government of Lesotho & 6 Others (CIV/APN/197/2019)

Ntjelo Petje & 6 Others V P.S Ministry of Forestry and Environment in RE: Moorosi Matela & 12 Others V The Government of Lesotho & 6 Others (CIV/APN/197/2019) [2025] LSHC 135 (9 June 2025)

Court

High Court

Case number

CIV/APN/197/2019

The 1st respondent is not guilty of contempt of court in respect of the 2nd to 7th applicants as substantial compliance with the court order was demonstrated, considering delays due to appeal and Covid-19. However, the 1st respondent is in contempt regarding the 1st applicant, as there was no evidence of compliance with the court order in his case.

Source excerpt

• Contempt of court
• Compliance with court orders
• Public service employment
• Reinstatement
• Costs

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Dlamini v Commissioner of Police (CIV/APN/0170/2022)

Dlamini v Commissioner of Police (CIV/APN/0170/2022) [2022] LSHC 152 (29 June 2022)

Court

High Court

Case number

CIV/APN/0170/2022

The High Court of Lesotho held that the applicants’ termination as police recruits was unlawful because it violated a subsisting court order suspending the process.

• Judicial review
• Compliance with court orders
• Employment termination
• Police recruitment
• Lis pendens
• Costs

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Source IT (Pty) Ltd and Others v Nedbank Lesotho Limited and Others (CCT 36 of 2014)

Source IT (Pty) Ltd and Others v Nedbank Lesotho Limited and Others (CCT 36 of 2014) [2015] LSHC 12 (15 May 2015)

Court

High Court

Case number

CCT 36 of 2014

The execution of the sale was not conducted in full compliance with Rule 47 and the deed of settlement, prejudicing the applicants; however, both parties failed in certain respects, and the founding affidavit was defective. The court temporarily suspends the execution for ninety days to allow a proper sale, with no order as to costs.

Source excerpt

• Stay of execution
• Sale in execution
• Interdict
• Deed of settlement
• Compliance with court orders

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Potsane v Mr Price and Another (LC 47 of 2007)

Potsane v Mr Price and Another (LC 47 of 2007) [2007] LSLC 31 (13 November 2007)

Court

Labour Court

Case number

LC 47 of 2007

The Labour Court dismissed a contempt application, holding that wilful disobedience of a reinstatement award was not proved and the cited interdict did not apply.

• Contempt of court
• Reinstatement
• Unfair dismissal
• Compliance with court orders
• Contempt-of-court
• Unfair-dismissal

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Motseki v TZICC Textiles (Pty) Ltd (LC 38 of 4)

Motseki v TZICC Textiles (Pty) Ltd (LC 38 of 4) [2005] LSLC 11 (27 October 2005)

Court

Labour Court

Case number

LC 38 of 4

The Labour Court dismissed a contempt application, holding that the employer had not willfully disobeyed the reinstatement award and had offered available work.

• Contempt of court
• Reinstatement
• Compliance with court orders
• Employee incapacity
• Contempt-of-court
• Employment-law

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Kolo Diamond Mines (Pty) Ltd v Monethi & Others (CIV/APN/ 335 of 1)

Kolo Diamond Mines (Pty) Ltd v Monethi & Others (CIV/APN/ 335 of 1) [2002] LSCA 12 (27 March 2002)

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

CIV/APN/ 335 of 1

The High Court of Lesotho found eight respondents guilty of contempt for returning to a mining site despite a personally served interim interdict.

• Contempt of court
• Interim orders
• Compliance with court orders
• Contempt-of-court
• Interim-orders
• Civil-procedure

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Lesotho Association of Jehova's Witnesses and Others v Lesotho Evangelical Church and Others (CIV/APN 94 of 0)

Lesotho Association of Jehova's Witnesses and Others v Lesotho Evangelical Church and Others (CIV/APN 94 of 0) [2000] LSCA 98 (27 April 2000)

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

CIV/APN 94 of 0

The court dealt with a contempt application over failure to reinstate a child at school, granting indulgence on strict conditions and extending the return date.

• Contempt of court
• School reinstatement
• Compliance with court orders
• Contempt-of-court
• School-reinstatement
• Compliance-with-court-orders

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Thaki v Thaki and Others (CIV\APN 195 of 95)

Thaki v Thaki and Others (CIV\APN 195 of 95) [1995] LSCA 113 (7 August 1995)

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

CIV\APN 195 of 95

The High Court of Lesotho found the respondents guilty of contempt for defying an order about the burial of a deceased relative.

• Burial rights
• Compliance with court orders
• Contempt-of-court
• Civil-procedure
• Burial-rights
• Compliance-with-court-orders

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Basotho Mineworks Labour CO-Op Limited and Another v Registrar of Cooperatives (Mr. EP Moeketsi) and Others (CIV/APN 404 of 93)

Basotho Mineworks Labour CO-Op Limited and Another v Registrar of Cooperatives (Mr. EP Moeketsi) and Others (CIV/APN 404 of 93) [1995] LSCA 39 (17 February 1995)

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

CIV/APN 404 of 93

The court discharged a rule nisi in an application over a co-operative appeal, finding a genuine dispute of fact about the appeal’s timing and authenticity.

• Interdicts
• Declaratory relief
• Compliance with court orders
• Appeals in co-operative societies
• Dispute of fact in motion proceedings
• Dispute-of-fact

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Institute of Development Management v Tsotsi (C of A (CIV) 17 of 92)

Institute of Development Management v Tsotsi (C of A (CIV) 17 of 92) [1991] LSCA 95 (2 August 1991)

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

C of A (CIV) 17 of 92

Appeal dismissed after the Court of Appeal upheld striking out the appellant’s defence for repeated, unexplained failure to comply with discovery orders.

• Discovery
• Striking out defence
• Compliance with court orders
• Civil-procedure
• Strike-out-of-defence
• Court-orders

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