Keiso Mohloboli
THE Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) board of directors this week appointed Thabo Nkhahle as the new Managing Director of the power utility.
Mr Nkhahle replaces Mr Tankiso Motṧoikha who has been acting in the position for the last two years after the 2015 indefinite suspension of former Managing Director, Mbele Hoohlo.
LEC said at the time that Ms Mantsoe’s suspension, which came into effect on 7 December 2015, was to allow investigations into “irregularities discovered in the management accounts, which may have a bearing on the audited financial statements of the company”.
Ms Hoohlo’s contract later expired in November 2017.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Lesotho Times this week, LEC board chairperson, Refiloe Matekane, said the decision to appoint Mr Nkhahle was made to ensure that LEC had a substantive head to drive its operations.
“Filling the position with a substantive candidate was the board’s priority because Mr Mots’oikha could not act forever,” Mr Matekane said on Tuesday.
“We conducted a head hunt through a recruitment consultant who found Mr Nkhahle to be the best candidate ahead of two senior LEC management officers who also competed for the job”.
Mr Nkhahle, an electrical engineer by profession, served as a board member of the Lesotho Electricity and Water Authority (LEWA) for the past two years.
He has previously worked as a project manager and quality and contracts manager at a local telecommunications company.
Mr Matekane said Mr Nkhahle’s experience with LEWA would help to ensure cordial working relations between the two organisations.
He further described Mr Nkhahle as a hardworking, competent and highly qualified individual who was ideal for the LEC top job.
According to Mr Matekane, Mr Nkhahle has a Master’s Degree in Science with a specialisation in technology management. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Technology and Electrical Engineering.
Mr Matekane also described Mr Nkhahle as “a people’s person,” citing the warm welcome the latter received upon being introduced to the LEC staff on Tuesday.
“The LEC staff appeared very happy to have him as their new Managing Director. They gave him a warm welcome and you could see that everybody was happy when he was interacting with them,” Mr Matekane said.
