◀ ▲ ▶History / 20th-century / Person: Khaketla, 'Mamphono

Person: Khaketla, 'Mamphono

'Mamphono Khaketla is a Lesotho mathematician who became a lecturer in mathematics at the National Teacher Training College. She has served in the Lesotho government, holding positions such as Minister of Education and Training.

Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):

• To understand 'Mamphono Khaketla's life we need to look at her background, particularly at her parents lives.
• Bennett Makalo Khaketla was born in Qacha's Nek, a mountainous region of what was then called Basutoland and is now known as Lesotho.
• Caroline Ntseliseng 'Masechele Khaketla, originally Caroline Ramolahloane, was born in the Berea district of Lesotho.
• She taught in Thabana Girls' School then went to Morija Training College where she met Bennett Makalo Khaketla.
• Bennett Makalo Khaketla published two novels, three plays and a collection of poems between 1945 and 1954.
• Bennett Makalo Khaketla's book Lesotho 1970 detailed the alledged brutalities of Jonathan and the book was banned in Losotho.
• After the award of the Certificate, Khaketla entered the National University of Lesotho which is in Roma, about 35 km southeast of Maseru.
• After the award of a Bachelor of Education in 1980 and the Diploma in Education in 1982, Khaketla went to the United States where she studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Both of these were three author works with, as well as Khaketla, Thomas A Romberg who was her thesis advisor and Linda Wilson.
• Khaketla was awarded a Ph.D. in 1991 for her thesis An analysis of the Lesotho Junior Certificate Mathematics Examination and its impact on instruction.
• After the award of her doctorate, Khaketla returned to Lesotho where she was appointed as a lecturer in mathematics at the Lesotho National Teacher Training College in Maseru in 1991.
• The 5th BOLESWA Educational Research Symposium was held Maseru from 12 July to 16 July 1993 and Khaketla published Theory and practice in educational research which appeared in the Proceedings of the Symposium in 1995.
• Khaketla remained at the National Teacher Training College until 1996, being by this time assistant director of the college.
• Forming a new National Assembly at this time he invited Khaketla to serve as Minister of Communications, Science and Technology.
• Khaketla lost her seat in this election but was elected to the National Assembly as one of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy members on a party list for proportional representation submitted by the National Independence Party which was allied to the Lesotho Congress for Democracy.
• Mosisili now appointed Khaketla as the Minister of Education and Training, a position she held until 2012.
• On 30 March 2015 Khaketla was appointed Minister of Finance and, in November 2015, she presided over the 102nd session of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Council of Ministers.
• This collapse in the coalition was caused by problems which had Khaketla at its centre.
• The then finance minister Dr 'Mamphono Khaketla was accused of soliciting a M4 million bribe from the directors of Lebelonyane Fleet Services in exchange for a government fleet tender.
• Dr Khaketla denied the allegation.
• The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences insists Khaketla allegedly solicited a bribe in exchange for a government fleet tender.
• Khaketla, together with her co-accused, Thabo Napo solicited the bribe from Lebelonyane Fleet Solutions Joint Venture on March 17, 2016, the anti-corruption body asserts.
• According to the charge sheet, Khaketla in common purpose with her "friend and/or partner" Napo attempted to solicit a bribe of about M4 million from Lebelonyane in exchange for a government fleet tender, also known as Lesotho "fleetgate" which was eventually awarded to Bidvest Bank.
• The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences adds Khaketla was to use her powers and position as minister of finance to influence and ensure that the tender is awarded to Lebelonyane.

Born 5 March 1960, Maseru, Basutoland (now Lesotho).

View full biography at MacTutor

Tags relevant for this person:

African, Origin Lesotho, Women

Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0!

Github:

non-Github:

@J-J-O'Connor

@E-F-Robertson

References

Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:

1. O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive