Vacancy for a librarian at Lesotho College of Education

The Lesotho College of Education (LCE) invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Librarian at Maseru campus. Interested persons may access additional information on the job from the Registrar’s Office based at the Administration Building of the LCE Maseru campus and the College’s website.

A copy of the advert is available HERE.

Uganda and Lesotho ratify the Marrakesh Treaty

Expert panel discussion on the Marrakesh treaty during SCECSAL 2018 

The Republic of Uganda and Kingdom of Lesotho have become the 36th and 37th countries respectively in the world to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty. 

It’s exactly two weeks today since the SCECSAL 2018 general assembly resolved that all member countries who are signatories to the Marrakesh Treaty push for the ratification of the multilateral agreement. 

During the Expert Panel Discussion on the Marrakesh Treaty on the 27th April 2018 in Entebbe Uganda, it was unanimously agreed that member countries should take on this task seriously and this will form the basis for future discussions like in Namibia 2020. 

The massage was well received as two SCECSAL member countries Uganda and Lesotho have joined the ever growing list of countries who have ratified the treaty. Other countries in Africa who have already ratified the treaty are: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Tunisia and Mali. 

During SCECSAL 2018 in Entebbe, Ms Beatrice Guzu the executive secretary National Union of Women with Disabilities said: "Before the treaty, one could not access information from other countries in a format suitable for blind persons. This situation resulted in reproducing what was already available at an extra cost just because sharing such material is blocked by the copyright jurisdiction". 

The treaty therefore acknowledges the legitimate commercial interest of the publishers who have that as a living and argued that by this sharing; no one is injuring the publishers because they are not publishing it in accessible formats for blind persons. 

In other words their target population excludes the blind which would by no means reduce their profits if the treaty holds.  Before the treaty, less than 5% of all books published were made accessible to the blind in the world. It was difficult to have current books in accessible formats including Braille, audio or large prints. 

Accordingly, global uproars have called for ratification in all member countries. This would ensure that published material in accessible format can be exchanged across the borders of those countries that have ratified the Treaty.  In response to the global calls, Uganda and Lesotho have joined the list of countries to ratify the treaty.  

This is a very strong statement in the history on the two African countries and for visually impaired persons and persons with print disabilities. 

We congratulate the two countries and we look forward to domesticating this into the respective national legal framework. 

The said treaty will enter into force, with respect to the Republic of Uganda, on July 23, 2018 and with respect to the Kingdom of Lesotho, on July 30, 2018.

Congratulations to all!

Hosts ULIA emerge winner of SCECSAL 2018 cultural evening dance competition

Participants from Namibia

Uganda Library and Information Associations and Institutions (ULIA) on Wednesday 25th April won the 2018 SCECSAL Cultural Evening dance competitions held at the Imperial Botanical Gardens, in Entebbe, Uganda.

A total of fifteen library Associations from the SCECSAL region and beyond participated in the cultural dance event. 

Like two years ago, the reigning champions Lesotho were represented by a lone performer but this time round, his antics were not enough to scoop the award for the second time in a row.

Among the notable participants in the dance were library and information professionals from Nigeria, Ghana and the Netherlands. 

SCECSAL 2020 hosts Namibia put up a stunning performance no wonder they finished second while the Kenyans made a sensational appearance on the stage.

Participants from South Africa

Meanwhile South Africa did not disappoint as usual as the Mr Mandla Ntombela led team excited the crowds.

The cultural evening was proceeded by three different excursions to Namugogo Shrines, Equator, Crocodile Village and the Source of the Nile. 

Lone participant from Lesotho scoops top award at SCECSAL 2016 Cultural Evening

Ms Masechele Qoola (R) receiving the trophy from
Ms Joy Dlamini, Director, Swaziland National
Library Services

A lone participant from Lesotho, Ms Masechele Qoola, defied all odds when she scooped the top award at the colourful SCECSAL Cultural Evening dance competition held at the University of Swaziland’s Ligcabho Lemaswati Sports Emporium on Wednesday evening.

Donned in a Sesotho traditional dress and a Sesotho blanket covering her shoulders, Ms Qoola captivated the audience with her graceful dance movements and danced her way to victory with 75 points.

The hosts, Swaziland, put up a colourful display of their traditional attire and well-choreographed moves and came in second position with 70 points.

The final standings were as follows:

1st Position – Lesotho (75pts)
2nd Position – Swaziland (70pts)
3rd Position – Botswana (68pts)
4th Position – Malawi (66pts)
5th Position – Uganda (65.5pts)
6th Position – Tanzania (65pts)
7th Position – Namibia and South Africa (64pts each))
8th Position – Zambia and Zimbabwe (62pts each)

Kenya failed to show up for the dance competition.

The two judges for the evening, Ms Sibongile Mamba and Mr. Mathokoza Sibiya, took into account the songs used, choreography, expression, and costume worn by the dancers to arrive at the rankings of the participants.

Dancers from from Malawi

Library and information professionals from Botswana improved on their past performances, and their combination of dance, poetry and ululations received loud applause from the participants.

Malawi were original in their choice of song and dance, and the seriousness they showed in their performance earned them many supporters among the participants.

The SCECSAL Cultural Evening, a major feature of each SCECSAL conference, provides conference participants with an opportunity to showcase their traditional dancing skills in a relaxed environment.

SCECSAL 2014 cultural evening

South Africa

Zambia

Uganda

Kenya

Dancing to Kukere by by Nigerian recording artist Iyanya

Namibia

Botswana

Traditional dancers from Malawi