12 Dec 2016

Former Bank of Botswana (BoB) governor, Ms Linah Mohohlo, has made a sterling contribution to the bank’s growth .

Speaking at a farewell dinner for the former governor recently, chairman of BoB board, Mr Gordon Cunliffe, said Ms Mohohlo’s achievements earned her respect and recognition both in Botswana and internationally.

“Thanks to the closure of the offices of the Norman & Dawburn firm in Botswana, Ms Linah Mohohlo joined the bank over 40 years ago, on April 20, 1976, as secretary to the deputy governor in the then administration department of the bank.  

She was recruited on the basis of strong references from two of her previous employers, the Anglo-American Corporation, and Norman & Dawburn – a firm of architects, consulting engineers and town planners – who had praised her for her dedication to duty, multi-tasking and potential to become an extremely good personal secretary,” he said.

He indicated that when she joined the bank, her highest qualifications were in secretarial courses, typewriting at 50 wpm and a good 100 wpm for shorthand and she demonstrated a keen interest to learn and increase her knowledge and skills early on in her career.

“She first enrolled for a bookkeeping course, which she passed in 1978; followed by a number of short-term courses at IDM in 1980 and a Certificate in Accounting & Business Studies obtained from the University of Botswana in 1981,” he said, adding that her poise, intelligence and tremendous drive earned her regular promotions. she was appointed administrative assistant in the governor’s Office in 1981 and later, in 1982, she was promoted to the position of superintendent and board secretary.

Mr Cunliffe said in addition to her enrolling for a Diploma in Accounting & Business Studies at the University of Botswana to study on a part-time basis, in 1983 Ms Mohohlo was sponsored by the bank to do a BA degree in Economics at The George Washington University in Washington DC which she successfully completed in 1985.  

“Shortly after obtaining her BA degree in Economics, Ms Mohohlo was appointed deputy director in the then administration department.  

She rotated to the research department as deputy director in 1988 and in 1989; Ms Mohohlo was promoted to become director of international department of the bank, now financial markets department.  In 1990, she obtained a master’s degree in finance and investment from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom,” he continued.

He noted that Ms Mohohlo was a recipient of a number of national and international awards amongst them which is Botswana’s highest public service award for efficient and devoted service, the Presidential Order of Honour.
“We owe you a huge debt of gratitude for your outstanding and visionary leadership and also for your contribution to the enhancement of the reputation of the Bank of Botswana where it is recognised, both at home and internationally, as a strong, stable and extremely well managed institution,” he concluded.

 For her part, Ms Mohohlo said when she applied for a job at the bank that many years ago, she did not know what the bank’s functions were, apart from that it would produce Pula and Thebe to replace the South African Rand and Cents, which were legal tender in Botswana for a long time until August 23 1976.

“What was important to me at the time was that I got the job to be the Deputy Governor’s Secretary and later the Governor’s Personal Assistant,” she said.
She noted that discovering the unique importance of the Bank sparked tremendous curiosity, thirst for knowledge and motivation to embark on improving her workmanship through on the job training, higher education and above all hard work.
“I saw a larger meaning of working at the Bank above and beyond earning a monthly salary,” she said.

Ms Mohohlo said the rapid growth and transformation of the country into an upper middle income status, mounting foreign exchange reserves and rising bank liquidity, the bank has over the years incrementally moved into top gear, reorganising itself in order to cope with the more demanding tasks of among others, safeguarding the soundness and efficiency of banks, ensuring robust, safe and secure payments systems, investing the country’s foreign exchange reserves, formulating and implementing monetary policy and ensuring that the exchange rate policy is on the right footing.

She said she was grateful to government for providing an enabling environment in which the Bank is able to deliver its mandate relatively unhindered.
“I am indebted to the Board for providing the necessary guidance and support, in this way making all accomplishments possible.

It has been said that when retiring. Most people are not tired. That is true in my case. I am not retired, I have simply left the bank,” she concluded. ENDS