Staff Reporter
MASERU — King Letsie III on Thursday pleaded with the newly appointed National University of Lesotho (NUL) council to do all they can to restore the university’s battered image.
The King, who is also the NUL Chancellor, was speaking at a ceremony to inaugurate the new council.
He said the council should work towards rebuilding the good reputation that the institution once had.
“You are expected to build the image and reputation of NUL as we had an enviable, strong university, but overtime the stance has gradually eroded and (you have) to work hard to bring it to its former glory or surpass that,” the King said.
He said that the university should become an institute of development so that it can be competitive and marketable in the region and worldwide.
“We need marketable students who will contribute to the national development efforts,” he said.
He said the council should ensure that NUL conducts outreach and communication services through research.
Speaking at the same occasion the Minister of Education and Training, ’Makabelo Mosothoane, said it was a relief that the council was being inaugurated.
She said she is looking forward to working with the new council.
Mosothoane said the council is expected to align its work with the government’s education policy, which seeks to provide quality education and meet the national goals.
“We expect the institution to be transformed into a vibrant one, which prioritises students, have programmes geared towards growing the economy, embodies the nature of people, prepares graduates to be competitive worldwide,” she said.
She said they are expecting NUL to come up with programmes for the benefit of the country.
The new NUL council chairman, Mokhele Likate, promised to do his job selflessly and honestly with an understanding that he is working for the nation.
Likate said the university is a big project that has been around for many years, saying that does not mean it should sit on its laurels and stop serving its people with excellence.
The appointment of a new council comes after the operations at the university came to a standstill last month because the previous council did not have an approved budget.
Without council approval for the new budget the university could not pay suppliers and employees.
The budget had not been approved because the council could not function after a newly appointed member of the incoming council, Advocate Kananelo Mosito, applied to the High Court seeking an order to stop its functions.
The High Court then issued an interim order stopping the council from running the university.
Mosito had argued that the council’s tenure of office had expired.
He wanted a new council to be appointed immediately.
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