Africa-Press – Lesotho. Like everywhere else, the mining sector in Lesotho remains a male-dominated industry with very few women in key strategic positions. There are a few exceptions though.
One such woman who has made it to the top is Relebohile Molefe, the Chief Executive Officer of Lesotho Diamond Academy. Speaking to thepost this week, Molefe says for women to be successful in the industry, they need to be just as “tough” as men.
They will also need to be 100 percent dedicated to their jobs, she says. The Lesotho Diamond Academy, established in 2011, is Lesotho’s only diamond cutting and polishing school.
It now boasts over 200 graduates and three cutting and polishing factories. The academy seeks to respond to the demand for skills in the diamond and jewellery sectors.
Molefe is also the chairperson of the Auction Diamond Association. She is a Criminology, Economics and Environment graduate, with additional qualifications in Business IT, Rough Diamond Evaluation, and Diamond Grading.
Molefe says she joined the Lesotho Diamond Academy as an intern after earning her degree in Business Information Technology from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.
She says she decided to study mining given the many opportunities in Lesotho’s mining sector. She says she was persuaded to take a certificate in Rough Diamond Evaluation at the Oppenheimer Diamond Training School in South Africa.
She further her education when she enrolled for a certificate in diamond grading at the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA). “The Diamond Grading course imparted skills to access the polished diamond as well as pricing the coloured diamonds,’’ she says.
Thereafter, she says, she came back home to put into practice her newly acquired skills. When she arrived she was appointed a lecturer in Rough Diamond Evaluation as well as Diamond Grading at the Lesotho Diamond Academy.
Molefe says her late father, Mpalipali Molefe, who was the founder of the Lesotho Diamond Academy, inspired her to work hard. She says the academy was closed after her father’s death.
The family later decided to pass on the school to her. She eventually got to her feet and reopened the Academy after a long period. She says her dedication enabled her to flourish in this industry.
She says she then decided to extend it to mining companies. She says she has acquired a prospecting licence for mining. Molefe says she is seeking to open a mining company that will not only create jobs for Basotho but also make a significant contribution to our economy.
She says she hopes to have opened the company by September thereby creating about 50 jobs for Basotho. Molefe says the industry requires a lot of patience and looking up to other giants in this industry who have succeeded.
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