lesotho | Adv. Tlotliso Angelina Polaki appointed as Ombudsman

Adv. Tlotliso Angelina Polaki is the newly appointed Ombudsman of Lesotho, effective 6 June 2022. Adv. Tlotliso Polaki graduated from the National University of Lesotho and was appointed and served as a magistrate, at the Maseru Magistrate Court for a number of years.

Adv. Tlotliso Polaki graduated from the National University of Lesotho and obtained a B.Comm (Accounting) and an L.L.B degrees. Subsequent thereto, she was duly admitted as an Advocate of the High Courts of Lesotho and the High Courts of South Africa in 1997 and 1998 respectively. She furthered her schooling and attained an L.L.M (Corporate) degree from the University of Natal, Durban in 2003. Concurrent to advancing her studies, she also completed the LSSA’s Compulsory Practical Vocational Training for Candidate Legal Practitioners.

Adv. Tlotliso Polaki was appointed and served as a magistrate, at the Maseru Magistrate Court for a number of years.  Her main role was to adjudicate over both criminal and civil matters within her area of jurisdiction, issue reasoned findings after hearing both parties and make determinations depending on the circumstances of each case.

She subsequently resigned and joined the private sector in South Africa in 2003, where she trained as a forensic investigator and worked for Gobodo Forensic Accounting (Pty) Ltd and Mvelaphanda Group, ZMS (Pty) Ltd as legal counsel.  She served in various capacities as senior legal advisor at the National Gambling Board of South Africa, the National Nuclear Regulator and most recently, as Chief Legal Officer at the National Covid-19 Secretariat in Lesotho.  She was appointed as the Chairperson of the Teaching Service Tribunal in January 2019.  In June 2022, Adv. Tlotliso Polaki was appointed as the Ombudsman at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Source: Office of the Ombudsman, Lesotho