Central Bank of Lesotho benchmarks against UFS security excellence
March 2026
Pictured is the delegation from the Central Bank of Lesotho and staff from the UFS Protection Services on the Bloemfontein Campus during the benchmarking visit.
The Central Bank of Lesotho delegation visited the University of the Free State (UFS) Protection Services on the Bloemfontein Campus on 2 March for a benchmarking engagement aimed at strengthening its own security operations.
Maboe Mphaololi, Manager of Security Operations, said the visit followed research and industry recommendations that highlighted the strength and robustness of the UFS Protection Services function. “Our team is very impressed with the technology the UFS uses, as well as the processes implemented to safeguard the university community,” he said.
At the UFS, the safety and security of staff and students remain a core institutional priority. Protection Services continuously invests in advanced surveillance technology, integrated security systems, and proactive operational processes to ensure a safe and enabling environment for teaching, learning, research, and campus life. This commitment is rooted in the university’s responsibility to create a secure space where the campus community can thrive with confidence.
Noko Masalesa, UFS Senior Director of Security Services, said: “We always appreciate it when our colleagues from other institutions and/or organisations visits us to benchmark best practices. It gives us an opportunity to share our practices and also to learn from our counterparts.”
The visit follows a similar benchmarking engagement by a delegation from the National University of Lesotho’s Department of Safety and Security in 2025.
Mphoaloli sees the visit as the “door being opened for future partnership and collaboration beneficial to both institutions”. Some staff members of the Central Bank of Lesotho were students at the UFS and they speak highly of the effectiveness of the UFS’ safety and security processes.
“To host members from the Central Bank of Lesotho’s Department of Protection Services was indeed humbling, since they are from a completely different sector, considering that we are in the higher education sector, and they are in the banking sector. We noticed that some best security practices are applicable irrespective of the sector,” concluded Masalesa.