As Basotho nation customarily celebrate their traditional beginning of the new year in August each year, the WASCO Board of Directors also marked this time with the introduction of the new Chief Executive Mr. Futho Hoohlo. On behalf of the WASCO Board of Directors, the Chairman Mr. Chabeli Ramolise and the Executive Management cordially welcomed Mr. Hoohlo in the Company premises on the early morning of the 5th of August, 2019.
Mr. Hoohlo follows Mr. Lehlohonolo Manamolela who passed away early this year. The appointment comes at a time when WASCO is working hard to comply with the regulatory requirements to improve its collection efficiency and customer service, reduce Non-Revenue Water (NRW) from the current level above 40.2% to a set 28% target. The Company is also expected to develop and implement an energy efficiency management program especially for Metolong treatment plant and to take advantage of the Metolong water to increase its customer base.
The Board and Executive Management pride themselves for appointment of Mr. Hoohlo who fortunately joins WASCO bringing with him a mammoth and wealth of experience from a broad base spectrum of work experience. Therefore, given his experience, supplemented by his academic background, the Board is optimistic that he is the right man to take WASCO to greater heights and improve on the majority of the company`s deficiency areas.
Most of his aptitudes stem from the Engineering Sector as his field of study and he also fortified his studies by undertaking some training courses in the water sector such as Hydropower Station electrical maintenance and Hydro-electric Generation and Water Transfer to mention but the pertinent ones, which are relevantly suitable ingredients required from the position he has occupied.
Before joining WASCO Hoohlo was appointed, by the Minister of Mining, as the Government Director, in the Board of Directors of Liqhobong Mining Development Company (LMDC) in August 2017. In September 2018, Hoohlo was further appointed, by the Minister of Finance, as an Independent Trustee of the Specified Offices and Public Officers Defined Contribution Pension Fund Board of Trustees.
In his tenure in the Mining Sector, he will forever be renowned for his tireless efforts for pursuing Liqhobong Management to curb economic erosion to South Africa, by relocating the Procurement Services from abroad into the Country, since then Liqhobong`s operations are in Lesotho. This marked a notable economic turnaround for the mining sector and credit to him.
He further served in a number of projects in the country for instance; Lesotho Highlands Development Authority and Lesotho Brewing Company (SABMiller Africa & Asia) especially in the field of Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Planning and Project Management, Erection and Commissioning of Hydro Electric Generation Power Systems at ‘Muela Hydropower Station. Hoohlo worked as a Consultant with Dynacon (PTY) Ltd, and currently LHE Engineers and Contractors, also specialising in O&M Planning & Management as well as Project Management. His extensive experience earned him a position of a post graduate external examiner (Masters Level) at Pretoria University, in the Department of Engineering & Technology Management.
During the 8th Parliament of Lesotho, as an Honourable Member of The Senate. He served in the various Parliamentary Committees namely; Senate Business Committee, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Committee (Chairman), Committee on Standing Orders and Staff and Parliamentary Reforms Committee (PRC).
In March 2015, Hoohlo was elected, as Members of The Senate, in the 9th Parliament of The Kingdom of Lesotho, as the Vice-President of The Senate. He served in the following Senate Parliamentary Committees: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Committee (Chairman), Committee on Standing Orders and Staff, Business Committee and Parliamentary Reforms Committee (PRC). Moreover, he continued to represent The Upper Chamber of The Parliament of The Kingdom of Lesotho in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and was a member of the IPU Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade. He was also a member of the IPU Standing Committee on United Nation Affairs and involved with the IPU Advisory Group on HIV/AIDS and Maternal, New-born and Child Health.
Hoohlo continues to be a Director in LHE Engineers and contractors, an Engineering consulting and contracting company. Most specifically he is an Electrical Power Engineer with 25 years postgraduate experience in various industrial working environments in the Engineering field. He studied at the University of Glasgow (United Kingdom) where he graduated on his BSc. (Eng.) Electronics and Electrical Engineering degree and obtained his MSc. Electrical Power Engineering degree from the University of Strathclyde (United Kingdom).
