Rethabile Pitso

THE Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) held a graduation ceremony on Friday for 70 senior staff members who participated in leadership and management programmes at Avani Maseru Hotel.

The year-long programmes were convened by the University of Stellenbosch’s Business School and undertaken by members of the CBL’s executive committee as well as division and section heads.

Members of the executive committee underwent a Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP), division heads pursued a Management Development Programme (MDP), while section heads went through a New Managers Development Programme (NMDP).

In her remarks, CBL Governor Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane said the programmes equipped the senior staff members with skills to fulfil the apex bank’s mandate of effectively and efficiently serving the nation.

“The accolades we are receiving today mark the beginning of translating the theory we have learned into practice for the benefit of the Central Bank of Lesotho and the nation which we are mandated to serve diligently,” she said.

“What will make a difference is not receiving these certificates, but to apply the knowledge we have gained. We should be more thoughtful and efficient in managing the bank and I trust we will uplift the country from a state of mediocrity to excellence.”

Dr Matlanyane also noted that the programmes were far from easy, adding that they had to persevere until the end.

“When we first started the programme, I was afraid we would not meet even one target set by the CBL board this year considering how demanding it was,” she said.

“There was actually a time I thought of quitting. But having finished the programme, I now believe it was the best investment we could ever make.

“Knowing how challenging the programme has been and what you have overcome, I believe we are capable of leading this institution and this country to prosperity. So from today I will crack the whip even more knowing you are more than capable.”

She urged the graduates to apply their newly-attained skills to contribute towards the CBL’s transformation.

“I would like to challenge all the 70 officials who are graduating today, 10 of whom are graduating in SMDP, 25 from MDP and 35 from NMDP, to translate their new skills into something meaningful,” Dr Matlanyane said.

“Each of you has a unique role to play in the transformation of this institution and you should always be team players and inspire your colleagues to ensure this bank becomes a centre of excellence.”

The graduates’ representative, Thabiso Makula, echoed similar sentiments by pledging to apply the knowledge they had acquired.

“We have gained a lot of useful knowledge on how to attain better results, and have come to appreciate the importance of providing quality service,” he said.

“We have become better leaders who understand the need for team work, diversity and the importance of knowing our colleagues’ backgrounds to better understand them.

“We now need to apply these skills in our work because knowing something only becomes useful when it is applied.”