David Mohlomi Rantekoa has served as ambassador of Lesotho to the United States since May 21, 2008. Lesotho, a nation of 2 million people, is completely surrounded by South Africa.

 

Born May 2, 1953, Rantekoa graduated from the National University of Lesotho in 1978 with a BA in Administration and Accounting. He joined the civil service in the Department of Income tax, gradually moving up the ranks until 1986, when he was appointed Sales Tax Commissioner.

 

From 1990 to 1992, he served as deputy principal secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, where he oversaw the transfer of government accounts from Standard Chartered Bank to the newly-created Central Bank of Lesotho.

 

Rantekoa was the managing director and chief executive of the government-controlled Lesotho Electricity Corporation from 1993 to 1995.

 

In 1995, he returned briefly to his post as deputy principal secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning before moving on to the same position in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Cooperatives and Marketing. Rantekoa next served as deputy principal secretary in the Office of Government Secretary before returning to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Cooperatives and Marketing, first as deputy principal secretary and then, in February 1998, as principal secretary. He held this position for ten years until being chosen as ambassador to the United States.

 

Rantekoa has been a leader in trade negotiations with the Southern African Development Community, the European Union, the World Trade Organization, the UN Industrial Development Corporation, the UN Conference on Trade and Development and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

 

In addition to serving as Lesotho’s ambassador to the U.S., Rantekoa is his country’s chief representative to several South American countries.

 

Rantekoa has served on the boards of the Lesotho National Development Corporation, Basotho Enterprises Development Corporation, Lesotho Sun Hotel, Maseru Sun Hotel, Lesotho Revenue Authority, Lesotho National Diary Board, Lesotho Highlands Development Authority and the Lesotho Electricity Company.

 

Rantekoa is married and has two daughters and one son.

-David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Official Biography (Lesotho Embassy)

Up Close and Personal with Mohlomi Rantekoa (by Charles Mantsoe)

Mohlomi Rantekoa (AfDevInfo)