ADDRESS BY HIS MAJESTY AND CHANCELLOR KING  LETSIE III : AT THE 27^TH CONVOCATION FOR THE AWARD OF CERTIFICATES, DIPLOMAS AND CONFERMENT OF DEGREES

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE PRIME MINISTER,

HONOURABLE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE,

HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY,

HONOURABLE CABINET MINISTERS,

HONOURABLE JUDGES OF THE HIGH COURT,

YOUR EXCELLENCIES, MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS,

CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL,

VICE-CHANCELLOR,

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AND GRADUANDS,

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,  

ON THIS AUSPICIOUS DAY OF CONFERRING CERTIFICATES, DIPLOMAS AND DEGREES TO DESERVING GRADUANDS AND EMINENT PERSONALITIES WHO HAVE EXCELLED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS OF ENDEAVOUR, ALLOW ME, TO EXTEND A MOST CORDIAL WELCOME TO THIS AUGUST GATHERING.    IN PARTICULAR, I EXTEND A SINCERE WELCOME TO OUR GUESTS FROM OUTSIDE OUR COUNTRY WHO HAVE JOINED US TO WITNESS THE PROCEEDINGS OF THIS JOYOUS CEREMONY.    

I THANK YOU ALL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOR COMING HERE TO REJOICE WITH US, AND INDEED FOR YOUR ENTHUSIASM AND SUPPORT AS WE LOOK FORWARD WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION TO WHAT LIES AHEAD OF US.

CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL, MY ADDRESS TODAY, WILL FOCUS ON THE EFFORTS BEING INSTITUTED TO REVAMP OUR UNIVERSITY SO THAT IT CAN BETTER EXECUTE ITS MANDATE.   AS MOST OF US WILL RECALL, THE ORIGINS OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO (NUL) DATE AS FAR BACK AS 1945, WHEN A CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY COLLEGE KNOWN AS PIUS XII WAS FOUNDED HERE AT ROMA.  THIS CAMPUS REMAINED THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE TRI-NATION UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA, LESOTHO AND SWAZILAND (UBLS) UNTIL 1975 WHEN AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT FOUNDED THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO.

SINCE 1945, THERE HAVE BEEN LITTLE IF ANY CHANGES IN THE WAY IN WHICH THE UNIVERSITY IS ADMINISTERED.   A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE UNIVERSITY SHOWS THAT, INSPITE OF BEING THE CRADLE OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN THE BLS COUNTRIES, IT HAS REMAINED STUNTED IN ENROLEMNTS, PROGRAMME DIVERSITY, RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL OUTPUT.  IT HAS REMAINED, FOR THE MOST PART, AN UNDERGRADUATE TRAINING INSTITUTION AS OPPOSED TO THE CONVENTIONAL IDEA OF A UNIVERSITY AS A TEACHING AND RESEARCH INSTITUTION.   AS EARLY AS 1995 AT A SIMILAR CONVOCATION CEREMONY, HIS MAJESTY THE LATE KING MOSHOESHOE II, AWARE OF THE NEED FOR THE UNIVERSITY TO CONTINUALLY ATTUNE ITSELF TO THE EVER CHANGING ENVIRONMENT, CAUTIONED AGAINST THE UNIVERSITY BEING COMPLACENT.  HE WARNED THAT “WE MUST BE CONSTANTLY CONSCIOUS THAT THE PRESTIGE OF A UNIVERSITY IS LARGELY  

DEPENDENT ON THE DIVERSITY OF ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES AND THE QUALITY OF SCHOLARSHIP.   IF WE BECOME LETHARGIC AND TAKE COMFORT BY DEPENDING ON THE GLORIES OF THE PAST, WITHOUT REDOUBLING OUR EFFORTS TO ATTAIN FURTHER HEIGHTS IN ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE, WE SHALL RUN THE RISK OF HAVING AN IMPRESSIVE INSTITUTION THAT IS IRRELEVANT IN A DYNAMIC AND CHANGING WORLD.”    WHILE WE ARE GRATIFIED BY THE QUALITY OF OUR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES, WE NEED TO DO MORE IN THE AREAS OF RESEARCH AND GRADUATE PROGRAMMES.  THE ON-GOING TRANSFORMATION PROCESS, WHICH STARTED LAST YEAR, IS, THEREFORE, A WELCOME DEVELOPMENT AS IT REPRESENTS A SERIOUS ATTEMPT ON THE PART OF THE UNIVERSITY TO, AMONG OTHERS, ADDRESS THESE WEAKNESSES.  THE OVERIDING OBJECTIVE OF THE TRANSFORMATION EXERCISE IS TO RESPOND  EFFECTIVELY   TO   THE   EMERGING  NEEDS OF OUR

COUNTRY.   THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS IS, IN ITSELF, A PRODUCT OF SEVERAL STUDIES BY BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPERTS WHO HAVE, AMONGST OTHERS, IDENTIFIED ADMINISTRATIVE BOTTLENECKS SUCH AS LOW STUDENT IN-TAKE AND LACK OF PROGRAMME DIVERSITY AS THE ROOT CAUSES HINDERING THE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE DISCHARGE OF THE UNIVERSITY’S MISSION.     ON THE OTHER HAND, DEALING WITH THESE BOTTLENECKS REQUIRES HUGE CAPITAL OUTLAYS FOR EXPANDING THE EXISTING FACILITIES AND, IN SOME CASES, BUILDING NEW ONES.   THERE IS NO DOUBT, THEREFORE, THAT OUR UNIVERSITY WILL NEED THE SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS SECTOR, LESOTHO’S DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, THE ALUMNI AND THE NATION AT LARGE TO GROW TO FULL CAPACITY AND OFFER A BROAD RANGE OF SPECIALITIES AT UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE LEVELS AND UNDERTAKE RESEARCH IN RELEVANT AND  SPECIALIZED  FIELDS.    THE  FACT  THAT  THE UNIVERSITY 

HAS, ON ITS OWN STEAM, UNDERTAKEN A CRITICAL INTROSPECTION AND AN ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION IS, INDEED, AN INDICATION THAT IT IS DETERMINED TO REPOSITION ITSELF AS A SERIOUS ROLE PLAYER AMONG INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING GLOBALLY. 

CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL, AS THE NATION’S ONLY UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO IS MAKING A DEFINITE COMMITMENT TO DIVERSIFY HER DEGREE OFFERINGS IN AN EFFORT TO MEET NATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES NEEDS ARISING FROM THE DEMANDS OF THE GROWING ECONOMY AND THE DEEPENING OF THE DEMOCRATIC ORDER.  IT IS DEDICATED TO RESPONDING TO THE EMERGING NEEDS AND PRIORITIES IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY.  TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, THE UNIVERSITY DESERVES THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE NATION FOR HER TRANSFORMATION ENDEAVOURS.  IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, IT WILL REQUIRE  THE POLITICAL WILL AND INCREASED FINANCIAL 

FLOWS FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO SET IN MOTION THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TRANSFORMATION STUDY.    WHILE THE UNIVERSITY IS DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE AND THANKFUL TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE NORMAL YEARLY SUBVENTION, WE ARE EQUALLY AWARE THAT THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS THAT THE UNIVERSITY HAS EMBARKED UPON WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL BUDGETARY RESOURCES AND WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL ASSIST THIS EXERCISE. 

THIS GESTURE WILL NOT ONLY SEED THE PROCESS BUT WILL ALSO PROVIDE PROOF OF OUR NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS AND ULTIMATELY TO THE EFFICIENCY OF THE UNIVERSITY.  WE INVITE THE BUSINESS SECTOR, OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, THE ALUMNI AND THE NATION AT LARGE TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS, OUR ONLY NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO. YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL NOT ONLY BE INDICATIVE  

OF AN EMERGING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS, IT WILL ALSO BE AN INVESTMENT IN CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP AS WELL AS A RECOGNITION OF THE ROLE OF THE UNIVERSITY IN PROVIDING OUR COUNTRY WITH HUMAN RESOURCES OVER THE YEARS.  

IN THE SAME BREADTH, WE CALL UPON OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS TO BE MORE INTEGRATIVE IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT OUTLOOK AND ASSISTANCE.  WE NOTE WITH APPRECIATION THE CURRENT EMPHASIS AND FOCUS OF DEVELOPMENT AID ON PRIMARY EDUCATION.  WE, HOWEVER, CONTEND THAT THE SUCCESS OF THESE INITIATIVES ON PRIMARY EDUCATION WILL ALSO NEED A COMPLEMENTARY INVESTMENT BY OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS IN THE UNIVERSITY.  A POINT TO REMEMBER IS THAT THE UNIVERSITY, WITH ITS TRAINING OF QUALIFIED AND COMPETENT TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS AND MANAGERS, SUPPORTS THE REST OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.   

FURTHERMORE, WE LOOK TO THE UNIVERSITY TO PROVIDE EXPERTISE IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH.

CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL,

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,  

OVER THE YEARS, THIS UNIVERSITY HAS PRODUCED SCHOLARS AND PROFESSIONALS IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY, THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN REGION AND THE WORLD.  SOME OF THE GRADUANDS OF THIS UNIVERSITY OCCUPY POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS.  IN RECOGNITION OF THIS FACT, AND AS AN ALUMNUS OF THIS HISTORIC INSTITUTION MYSELF, I HAVE THE PLEASURE AND DUTY TO CALL UPON ALL ALUMNI TO PLEDGE THEIR  MORAL,   MATERIAL   AND   FINANCIAL  SUPPORT.  IT IS A TIME HONORED TRADITION, IN THE ACADEMIC WORLD, FOR THE ALUMNI TO SUPPORT THEIR ALMA MATER ESPECIALLY AT TIMES SUCH AS THESE WHEN YOUR UNIVERSITY HAS EMBARKED UPON THIS EXACTING JOURNEY OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE.  YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT THE SUCCESS OF OUR ALMA MATER IS, IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, OUR SUCCESS.

CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO NOTE THAT THE GOVERNMENTS OF LESOTHO AND SOUTH AFRICA HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO A PARTNERSHIP TO TRANSFORM LESOTHO’S ECONOMY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THROUGH THE RECENTLY SIGNED BILATERAL AGREEMENT.   THE SAME SPIRIT SHOULD ALSO PERMEATE THE PEOPLES OF THESE TWO COUNTRIES.  IN THIS REGARD, IT IS ONLY APPROPRIATE TO REMEMBER THAT BASOTHO HAVE, FOR OVER A CENTURY, PLAYED  A  PIVOTAL  ROLE  IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF  THE  SOUTH AFRICAN MINING INDUSTRY.  ASSISTING   NUL   IN   ITS   ENDEAVOURS   TO   EDUCATE    AND  

DEVELOP CRUCIAL HUMAN RESOURCES IN VARIOUS SECTORS OF OUR REGIONAL ECONOMY, WILL BE A WAY OF CEMENTING THIS CENTURY OLD PARTNERSHIP.  IT WILL ALSO BE RECALLED THAT, LONG BEFORE IT BECAME FASHIONABLE AND POLITICALLY CORRECT TO RECOGNISE THE STATURE OF THE LEADERS OF THE LIBERATION MOVEMENT, THIS UNIVERSITY CONFERRED UPON THE FORMER PRESIDENT NELSON ROLIHLAHLA MANDELA AN HONORARY DOCTOR OF LAWS IN 1978.  TODAY WE ARE CONTINUING THIS GREAT TRADITION BY RECOGNISING THE ROLES OF TWO EMINENT LEADERS, MR. JAMES THOKOANA MOTLATSI AND MR. CYRIL MATAMELA RAMAPHOSA, FOR THEIR SELFLESS AND OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION IN THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL LIFE OF THE PEOPLES OF SOUTHERN AFRICA.  

IN THE SPIRIT OF ENHANCING THE BILATERAL PARTNERSHIP, WE  HAVE  IDENTIFIED  A NUMBER OF POSSIBLE COOPERATION 

AREAS AND WE INVITE ALL COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS OF GOODWILL TO COMEFORTH AND ASSIST THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING PRIORITISED PROJECTS: 

1.             TEACHING AND LABORATORY FACILITIES:

AT THE TIME WHEN THE UNIVERSITY IS DETERMINED TO INCREASE ITS STUDENT’S ENROLMENTS IN THE FACE OF A GROWING DEMAND FOR UNIVERSITY EDUCATION, THE TEACHING AND LABORATORY FACILITIES NEED TO INCREASE IN TANDEM.  THIS IS ALSO IN RECOGNITION OF THE SPATIAL GROWTH OF THE UNIVERSITY IN ITS EFFORTS TO RECONNECT WITH THE NATION.  

2.     LIBRARY FACILITIES:

AS A CONSEQUENCE OF INCREASING ENROLMENTS, THE LIBRARY   FACILITIES   ACROSS    ALL     NUL    CAMPUSES    ARE  

OUTSTRETCHED.  THE MAIN LIBRARY AT ROMA MUST BE EXPANDED WHILE NEW FACILITIES ARE REQUIRED IN THE OTHER COMPUSES.  

3.             HOSTEL FACILITIES:

CURRENTLY, THE UNIVERSITY IS ONLY ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 1300 STUDENTS UNDER VERY CROWDED CONDITIONS.  WE INVITE THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO COME INTO  PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNVIVERSITY TO DEVELOP HOSTEL FACILITIES.  WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE EFFORTS OF THE ANGLICAN AND CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY MINISTRIES TO PROVIDE COMPLEMENTARY HOSTEL FACILITIES IN SUPPORT OF OUR ENDEAVOURS.  

4.             UNIVERSITY SOCIAL CENTRE:

THE WELFARE OF STUDENTS AND STAFF REMAINS THE UNIVERSITY’S  PRIORITY.   TO  THIS  END  A  UNIVERSITY SOCIAL  

CENTRE IS PROPOSED IN ORDER TO CATER FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND STAFF INDOOR SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.  THIS SOCIAL FACILITY PROJECT COMPLEMENTS THE UNIVERSITY’S ACADEMIC OBJECTIVES.  

CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IN CONCLUSION, WE WISH TO SIGNAL OUR SATISFACTION TO THE GRADUANDS WHOSE DISCIPLINE, PERSEVERANCE AND HARD SCHOLARLY WORK HAS BROUGHT US TOGETHER TO WITNESS THIS 27^TH CONVOCATION CEREMONY.   WE THANK THE PARENTS AND SPOUSES WHO, THROUGH THICK AND THIN, HAVE STOOD BY THESE GRADUANDS FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS OF THEIR ACADEMIC LIFE AND, INDEED, FOR MAKING THIS DAY A TRULY JOYOUS AND MEMORABLE ONE.  EQUALLY, WE THANK THE SPONSORS OF THE ACADEMIC AWARDS AND PRIZES FOR THIS WELCOME GESTURE WHOSE OBJECT IS TO RECOGNIZE AND REWARD EXCELLENCE IN SCHOLARLY WORK.  

HONOURABLE MINISTERS, CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL, EXCELLENCIES, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, GRADUANDS AND THE ENTIRE STUDENT BODY, I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY CELEBRATION.  

 KHOTS!  PULA!!  NALA!!!   

 SATURDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2002