Pascalinah Kabi

PRIME Minister Moeketsi Majoro has appointed 13 new principal secretaries (PSs).

Former Lesotho High Commissioner to India, Maile Masoebe, is the new Ministry of Trade and Industry PS. Mr Masoebe replaces former PS Soile Mochaba.

Mr Masoebe served as Lesotho’s High Commissioner to India from 2006 to July 2012. Before that, he had previously worked as youth affairs director at the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports and Recreation for slightly over a year.

Former Lesotho College of Education Rector John Oliphant replaces Thabiso Lebese as the PS for Higher Education in the Ministry of Education and Training, which has two PSs. The other one is Neo Lipoto, who is responsible for basic education.

Eleven other new appointees are Nchaka Makara (Agriculture and Food Security), Nthoateng Lebona (Finance), Lebeko Sello (Law and Justice), Malefetsane Nchaka (Water), Nonkululeko Zaly (Local Government and Chieftaincy), T?okolo Maine (Mining), ‘Mamoeketsi Ntho (Tourism, Environment and Culture), Moliehi Moejane (Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation), Sello T?ukulu (Development Planning), Ret?elisitsoe Mohale (Public Works) and Tlhopheho Sefali (Transport).

The new appointments were confirmed by Dr Majoro’s press attaché Mosito Moqhekoana yesterday.

Mr Moqhekoana said the premier had also reshuffled Thabo Motoko from Transport to Public Service, Tankiso Phapano from Energy and Meteorology to Small Business Development, Marketing and Cooperatives as well as Temba Sopeng from the mining ministry to Energy and Meteorology.

He said the Prime Minister’s Office was currently ceased with the appointment of PSs for ministries of Health; Labour; Communications, Science and Technology and Forestry, Range and Soil Conservation.