Maseru court grinds to a standstill Mohalenyane Phakela OPERATIONS at the Maseru Magistrates Court have ground to a virtual standstill due to a power cut by the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC). So serious is the crisis that, according to Chief Magistrate ‘Matankiso Nthunya, magistrates are unable to deliver judgements, hear or even enrol new cases whose proceedings have to be electronically recorded. The LEC abruptly cut power supplies to the Maseru Magistrates Court on 23 February 2021 over its failure to pay a M1, 3 million power bill which had accumulated over the past five years. Chief Magistrate Nthunya this week said they had scrambled to raise M200 000. However, this is still grossly inadequate as the LEC is holding out for at least half of the M1, 3 million debt. This means that the judiciary will have to fork out at least M650 000 before the Maseru court is