’Mantoetse Maama

MASERU – The government is planning to transform Lerotholi Polytechnic College into a university of science and technology by 2015, Assistant Education Minister Matanki Mokhabi said yesterday.

Mokhabi was speaking at a graduation ceremony and official opening of a new complex at the college.

The Letsie Complex, comprising eight lecture halls, 17 offices and an auditorium, is expected to ease the shortage of lecture halls at the institution.

Each lecture hall will accommodate 150 students.

“These are indeed commendable achievements for the polytechnic towards some of the key government and national priority areas of poverty reduction and economic development through the development of manpower,” Mokhabi said.

“The achievements also augur well towards the polytechnic’s strategic development plan of becoming a university by 2015,” she said.

More than 80 students were awarded diplomas in architectural technology, civil engineering, construction engineering, business management, marketing management, office administration and management, computer systems engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical engineering and certificate in auto-electrics.

Frantši Molibeli, who received the best overall performer and best student award in computer systems engineering, urged youths to take school seriously to shape their future.

“I worked very hard. It was not easy,” Molibeli said.