…tributes pour in for late judge
Moorosi Tsiane
THE judiciary is in mourning after one of its key members, Justice Hopolang Nathane, passed on at a hospital in South Africa last week.
Members of the legal profession, relatives and friends packed courtroom number one at the High Court premises in Maseru on Tuesday for a memorial service for the remarkable lawyer.
Former Home Affairs Principal Secretary and veteran lawyer, Advocate Borena-ha-bo-khethe Sekonyela, described the death of Justice Nathane as a huge loss to the country’s justice system.
Adv Sekonyela said he had worked with Justice Nathane from the mid-80’s when the latter was admitted as a lawyer.
He described him as a principled man who was always soft spoken but objective.
“I first came to know Justice Nathane around 1986 when he had just graduated from the university and I was the one teaching him a lawyers’ work. He was such an amazing person, compassionate and intelligent. He was always clear to the point,” said Adv Sekonyela.
“His death is such a great loss to the judiciary, more especially the Northern Division of the High Court where he was serving. There was already a backlog of cases in Leribe and now they are only left with one judge. The nation at large, his family and the judiciary have lost a fine son of the soil.
“He used to work with all his might, (he was) too resourceful and I hope his great work can be an example and the good that he has done should be what takes us forward,” Adv Sekonyela said.
For his part, the head of judiciary, Chief Justice Sakoane Sakoane, said he would remember Justice Nathane for delivering insightful judgements.
“I saw him mature and become a lawyer of note. As a good lawyer, he was able to tell the court the strong points of his cases. He never wasted the court’s time on weak points. I was very pleased when he joined the bench. The bench became stronger.
“In his short stint on the bench, Justice Nathane delivered well researched judgements on time… Justice Nathane was well mannered. He was a devoted Christian. The St. Agnes Anglican Church has suffered a great loss,” said Justice Sakoane.
In an interview with the Lesotho Times on the sidelines of the memorial service, Adv Thapelo Ntsiki, who has been manning the deceased judge’s law firm, Nathane Chambers, since his elevation to the bench in March 2022, echoed both Adv Sekonyela’s and Justice Sakoane’s sentiments.
“He was such a brilliant lawyer who taught me how to become a lawyer and to set aside my emotions when dealing with cases. I have learnt a lot from him and grateful that he trusted me to take over Nathane Chambers when he left.
“He was more of a father figure to us than a boss and we respected him for that as there was not even a single day that he shouted to any of us. When we have erred, he would always call us to order in a good way. He played a crucial role in my personal growth and achievements, and I will always thank him for that. We have indeed lost an icon in him, and I want to pass my condolences to his family,” said Adv Ntsiki.
Justice Nathane will be afforded a state funeral tomorrow at his hometown of Ha Molemane in Teyateyaneng, Berea.
He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
Justice Nathane was part of the seven judges who were recruited in March 2022 by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). He was appointed as the senior judge of the Northern Division of the High Court at Tšifa-li-Mali Court Complex in Leribe. Only two judges were posted to Leribe, meaning Justice Makampong Mokhoro remains the only judge to deal with Berea, Leribe, Butha Buthe and Mokhotlong cases.
Before his elevation to the bench, he had been a lawyer of note who was conferred with the King’s Counsel (KC) accolade in 2012.
