By Staff Writer
The Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) has welcomed a seasoned legal and compliance expert with a solid corporate background and vast experience in the banking sector, into its midst.
In May this year the LNDC welcomed the newly-appointed Interim CEO, Ntate Molise Ramaili. Ntate Ramaili who is a lawyer by profession, joins LNDC after having held positions in senior management at Lesotho PostBank, Letshego Financial Services and First National Bank of Lesotho Limited. He has also worked for Vodacom Lesotho and WASCO. He has served as a Legal Officer, Senior Specialist: Legal Contracts, Compliance Manager and Company Secretary. He has hit all the professional high notes, “Head this, Chief that,” no wonder that LNDC welcomes its youngest ever Chief Executive Officer.
To my surprise, Ntate Ramaili reveals that the role of Chief Executive Officer was not what he would tell you when asked, “what do you want to become when you grow up?” No, he says becoming a professional soccer player was what he aspired to become.
“My dream was crushed after a sports injury in my final year of high school.” He says up till today, some people are surprised that he stopped playing considering just how good he was. Let’s just agree to take his word for it.
Ntate Ramaili attended primary school at NULIS, proceeded to Machabeng College and went on to further his studies at the National University of Lesotho to earn a Bachelor of Laws degree. Upon completion of his degree, he was attached at Horn and Van Rensburg Attorney’s in Bloemfontein, and later returned to Lesotho. He credits the launch of his career to the late Mrs Vuyeloa Kotelo of VVM Kotelo and Co Attorneys. He recalls how after being duly admitted as an advocate to practice law in the courts of Lesotho, he was immediately thrown into the deep end to handle a case.
“I remember being in court with experienced lawyers, some of who were my lecturers at NUL” he says. “But that gave me a solid kick start, and the rest is history.”
Ntate Ramaili says he is excited about this era and believes this is the time for the youth and women to make their mark. His experience with Adv. Vuyeloa Kotelo, showed him that women are strong and that he probably learned more from her than he would have from a male mentor.
“I see people as equals, men-women, black-white, and believe women need more opportunities. He goes on to say, “I am driven by helping people make their lives better.”
These are the cornerstone of his sentiments about his role at LNDC and what he seeks to achieve as Interim CEO. He speaks about LNDC’s major construction projects such as the Belo and Tikoe Phase III Projects, but says he wants those developments to translate into real opportunities for the youth and growth of SMME’s. He also wants to see LNDC leading the diversification of industry, citing the IT sector as an example of how LNDC can dive into the 4thindustrial revolution.
He recalls how he recruited four young lawyers who did not have working experience during his tenure at FNB and shares proudly that they all moved on and each hold top positions at other institutions. His focus is on rewarding people on their abilities.
So on that note colleagues, let us once again welcome Ntate Ramaili to LNDC, and work as a team to build industry, because that is what we do.
