The Vodacom Legal Symposium 2025, held in Maseru this week, brought together thought leaders from the legal, financial, academic, and technology sectors to chart a shared path toward modernising Lesotho’s justice system for the digital age.
Representing Mayet & Associates Lesotho, Ms Zurayda Mayet, Managing Director, attended the event alongside key stakeholders including the Law Society of Lesotho, UNDP, Vodacom Business, and several leading firms and policymakers.
The symposium reflected a growing national momentum toward digital transformation, alternative dispute resolution (ADR), and regulatory modernisation. themes that align with the firm’s long-standing commitment to progressive legal reform and access to justice.
A Full Day of Innovation and Insight
The day began with opening remarks by Rethabile HooHlo, Vodacom Lesotho’s Executive Head of Legal and Compliance, followed by a keynote address by CEO Mohale Ralebitso, who reminded participants that “law must be an enabler, not a barrier, to technological development.”
The event featured a speech by the President of the Law Society of Lesotho, Adv Lintle Tuke, reinforcing the profession’s readiness to embrace reform and the Society’s recent partnership with the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA). A step toward establishing a national arbitration centre in Lesotho.
Panel discussions and roundtables throughout the day explored:
- The Golden Age of Technology and the Law: A Time to Adapt and Adopt. Highlighting the urgency of aligning Lesotho’s laws with emerging digital realities;
- Stakeholder Engagement as a Cornerstone for Advancing Policy and Legal Frameworks – led by UNDP’s Nthabiseng Pule;
- The Importance of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Modern Legal Systems – facilitated by Mateboho Phafane of Webber Attorneys; and
- Bridging the Divide – Building Synergies in the Legal Ecosystem from Transactional to Transformational, delivered by Thapelo Ntsiki, Managing Director of E-Legal Solutions.
These sessions collectively underscored that innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity must guide Lesotho’s legal development.
The Role of Mayet & Associates Lesotho
As one of the region’s cross-border law firms, Mayet & Associates Lesotho is deeply invested in the country’s transition toward a digitally integrated, accessible, and efficient legal framework. Ms Zurayda Mayet’s attendance at the symposium reaffirmed the firm’s commitment to fostering:
- Modern regulatory design that accommodates fintech, data governance, and e-commerce;
- Institutional support for ADR, including arbitration and mediation capacity-building; and
- Collaboration between the private sector, government, and judiciary to strengthen the rule of law through technology.
The firm applauds Vodacom Lesotho’s initiative in convening this dialogue, which mirrors Mayet & Associates’ belief that legal reform and digital innovation are mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development.
Advancing E-Justice and Legal Technology
A recurring theme throughout the symposium was the need for e-justice. A digital transformation of court processes, document management, and case tracking. Participants agreed that the adoption of electronic filing systems, virtual hearings, and automated legal registries would significantly improve efficiency and transparency.
Such reforms will also bring Lesotho closer to regional integration with other Southern African jurisdictions already embracing technology-driven justice systems.
Collaboration for a Digital Legal Future
The Vodacom Legal Symposium 2025 demonstrated that Lesotho stands at the threshold of a new era. One where law, technology, and development converge to advance justice, investment, and economic growth.
Mayet & Associates Lesotho, through the leadership of Ms Zurayda Mayet, remains committed to supporting these reforms. Through policy dialogue, advisory services, and advocacy that promote accessible, tech-enabled justice and resilient institutions.