QACHA’S NEK — Plans to establish Lesotho’s first-ever agricultural university, the Central University of Agri Technology Lesotho are taking shape in Ha-’Manteko, Qacha’s Nek.
The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has already granted the project conditional registration, the urban council has allocated land, and a public gathering has been held to engage the local community.
In an interview with the Agency, Bishop Daniel Rantle of the Wesleyan Methodist Church Lesotho, who also chairs the school board and hails from Qacha’s Nek said the planned university requires at least 30 hectares to accommodate student residences, laboratories, livestock kraals, and research facilities.
According to Bishop Rantle, the institution will be the first of its kind in Lesotho, offering degree programs in agriculture with a vision to empower farmers and those aspiring to specialize in agriculture.
“Our graduates will not leave seeking jobs. Instead, they will create them ensuring food security for Lesotho and even beyond,” he explained.
Bishop Rantle explained that the vision for the university came after his research across Lesotho’s lowlands, peri-urban, and highland areas.
“The findings confirmed that Qacha’s Nek was not only agriculturally suitable but also socially deserving,” he said adding “Most people from this district are forced to move to the lowlands to pursue higher education, while many others even cross into South Africa just to make ends meet.”
“By bringing the university here, we can reverse that pattern. Education and job creation should also be accessible in the highlands, not only in the lowlands,” he said. . . .
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