On 28 April, 2023, National University of Lesotho through its Faculty of Law signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lesotho Mounted Police Services (LMPS) to design a training programme that will ensure effective policing.
Earlier on, the Commissioner of Police Holomo Molibeli and the Dean of Faculty of Law, Dr. Letzadzo Kometsi together with their teams held talks on the possible programme design by NUL and the training of the police to better handle matters relating to human rights and policing.
Commissioner Molibeli indicated that they have noted a number of gaps in terms of professionalism among members of the Police force. Such gaps often manifest in instances of police brutality, human rights violation, mishandling of cases and others.
According to Dr. Kometsi, it became evident that such a programme cannot be handled by the Faculty of Law alone but there was a need for collaboration with other faculties. Eventually other faculties were incorporated in order to develop a joint programme.
He stated that a curriculum would be developed and training will be provided for the new recruits. He added that this will be a certified training in that at the end of the programme, trainees will graduate like other University students.
In his remarks, NUL Vice-Chancellor, Professor Isaac Olusola Fajana indicated that due to changes in the socio economic conditions, climate, and technological environment of Africa, it is imperative that universities offer appropriate response to uplift and capacitate the police as agents of societal reconstruction.
He further explained that an efficient police service enhances economic growth and development by providing a secure, safe and healthy environment for citizens. This calls for appropriate laws and policies in the various sectors education, health, employment, industrial relations, social security, technology, trade, industrialisation, and kindred policies.
“We, at the NUL, as a public university in Lesotho, are happy indeed to be supporting the efforts of government to promote orderly development of society through the collaboration with the Lesotho Mounted Police Services. We appreciate the Faculty of Law for putting together this collaboration. I also want to thank the LMPS, for the trust and confidence they have in us. We undertake to do our utmost to meet and exceed the expectations of our stakeholders on this and all the other projects”, Prof Fajana concluded.
Benefits for the LMPS include an innovative, credible and well-resourced academic programme, access to university resources, and assistance with evaluations and other projects. Benefits for the university include an opportunity to expand and diversify programmes; funding opportnity; opportunity to integrate its research, teaching and community engagement missions; additional research opportunities; more readily available data; and a better understanding of the context of research, leading to better research.
