Mamphono Khaketla is a Mosotho female who holds a Ph.D. and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in Wisconsin, U.S.A. She has served the people of Lesotho in various capacities for 32 years; 18 of which were in executive management. She worked as a college lecturer and administrator at the then National Teacher Training College (NTTC), (Now LCE). She also served as a Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education. She was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Botswana-based Institute of Development Management (IDM). The IDM is a regional training, consulting, and research institute owned by the Governments of Lesotho, Botswana, and Swaziland. Whilst at IDM, she not only worked as the CEO but also consulted in areas of her expertise. She served as the Executive Director of the Centre for Accounting Studies in Lesotho, and subsequently as a Cabinet Minister. She has also served as an external examiner of Ph.D students at the University of Limerick, Ireland.
She served as a Minister in Lesotho’s Government for 12 years. She held the following portfolios: Minister of Communications, Science and Technology; Minister of Natural Resources (Water, Energy, Mining, Appropriate Technology, and Meteorology); Minister of Education and Training; Minister of Finance; and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations.
In 2010, she founded the ‘Masechele Khaketla Education Foundation (MKEF), of which she is the Patron. The MKEF was established in 2010 in honour of her late mother, Dr. ‘Masechele Khaketla, who was the first Mosotho woman to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree (BA) and a University Teacher’s Diploma (UED). ‘Masechele taught for 52 years in several schools in Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa. The Foundation sponsors children from disadvantaged families who are enrolled in High Schools in Lesotho, paying their fees and other necessities. It also provides mentorship to these children by attaching them to professionals in the field of study they contemplate pursuing after finishing high school.
Since leaving the government, she has been a consultant. She has consulted for state and non-state actors.