Mohloai Mpesi
THE much talked about appointment of Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) board chairperson, Thabo Khasipe, as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) remains unconfirmed, despite a strong recommendation from the LNDC board.
Minister of Trade, Industry, and Business Development, Mokhethi Shelile, told this publication yesterday that he had not made any decision to appoint Mr Khasipe to the vacant CEO position, despite the LNDC board of directors’ recommendation to that effect.
According to the panel’s evaluation scores, Mr Khasipe outperformed all his competitors.
A report submitted to the LNDC Board titled “Appointment of Chief Executive Officer Report by the Recruitment Panel” recommends Mr Khasipe as the most suitable candidate for the role.
Mr Khasipe currently serves as the LEC Board Chairperson, as the power utility remains under investigation by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for alleged procurement misconduct, corruption, and fraud.
He is also the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), a position he has held since early 2023.
In an earlier interview with The Lesotho Times, Mr Khasipe stated that he still had time left on his five-year SACU contract and was not interested in the LNDC post.
He has previously served as the Commissioner General of the Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL), and in 2020 he was appointed CEO of the now-defunct National Covid-19 Secretariat (NACOSEC).
A recruitment report, compiled by a panel comprising Selikane Motseko (Chairperson), Lisebo Mositsi, and Seretse Mohlouoa, which this publication has seen, concluded that Mr Khasipe was the best candidate for the LNDC position.
“The panel’s view is that Mr Thabo Khasipe is best suited for the position of Chief Executive Officer. The panel unanimously recommends Mr Thabo Khasipe as the best and preferred candidate,” the report reads.
However, Minister Shelile stressed that the board’s recommendation does not bind him to appoint Mr Khasipe as there were two other candidates still under consideration.
“Board recommendation is just a recommendation. There are three individuals there, so it is a bit premature for me to comment on the appointment because those issues are still being handled, and I have not made a decision to accept a recommendation or not,” he said.
When this reporter pointed out that the publication had seen the report and the interview scores, Mr Shelile responded by saying the media was not supposed to have access to such documents.
“You are not supposed to have that report. Tell me the person who gave you that report, bring it to me. Those things are confidential. Yes, you saw the scores, but the board recommends, and the Minister has not made up his mind yet.”
The LNDC CEO post was advertised in local newspapers with a deadline of 24 January 2025.
Among the required qualifications included a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, or an equivalent field, with a qualification in Project Management said to be an added advantage. The job also required at least 10 years of executive-level experience.
Following the vetting process, the LNDC Board of Directors shortlisted six candidates for interviews: Mamashiya Tikiso, Thabo Khasipe, Keketso Chalatse, Mokhachane Mopeli (who declined the invitation), Makatleho Mataboee, and Mokhejane ‘Moleli.
According to the report, all interviews were conducted on 17 June 2025 at Avani Lesotho through an Oral Structured Competency Interview Process (SCIP), which assessed candidates’ functional and inherent competencies on a total score of 55 marks.
Mr Khasipe topped the interviews with 92.7 points. Mr Chalatse followed with 74.5 points, while Ms Tikiso scored 72.7. Mr ‘Moleli and Ms Mataboee scored 65.5 and 63.6, respectively.
On the Psychometric Assessment, however, Ms Tikiso outperformed Mr Khasipe, scoring 75 points to his 65, while Mr Chalatse followed with 52 points.
The physical interview accounted for 80 percent of the final recruitment score, while the psychometric assessment carried 20 percent.
The report indicates that the three top candidates were invited for the psychometric test on 24 June 2025 at the Institute of Development Management (IDM).
“The candidates were tested on the potential fit to the competency requirements for the position of Chief Executive Officer,” the report states.
Ms Tikiso scored 57 percent in Deductive Reasoning, 64 in Numeric Reasoning, 27 in Verbal Reasoning, and 79 in Inductive Reasoning, with a total of 75 points for overall competencies.
Mr Khasipe scored 33 percent on Deductive Reasoning, 49 on Numeric Reasoning, 96 on Verbal Reasoning, and 36 on Inductive Reasoning, accumulating an overall competency score of 68.
Mr Chalatse, the third candidate, scored 34 percent on Deductive Reasoning, 59 on Numeric Reasoning, and 52 on Verbal Reasoning, with an overall competency percentage of 52.
Meanwhile, speaking to the Lesotho Times sister paper, the Sunday Express a fortnight ago, Mr Khasipe denied any involvement in the LNDC post, reaffirming his commitment to SACU.
“I have no new position at LNDC. I am the Executive Secretary of SACU in Namibia, and I have a five-year contract. I am only two and a half years into it. I have no intention of leaving SACU. These rumours are being pushed by individuals with personal agendas,” Mr Khasipe said.
Nonetheless, the LNDC Board recommendation and the report of the recruiting company have proven otherwise.
