Background
He was born on October 19, 1922, at Johannesburg, South Africa.
He was born on October 19, 1922, at Johannesburg, South Africa.
Educated at boarding schools in Natal—first at St Chad’s College then St Francis College—until he went to Fort Hare University College in 1943 to study natural sciences.
After gaining his Bachelor of Science degree he taught at the Bantu High School in the then Western Native Township and was popular as a boxing coach. In 1950-1, he was the first black African to study at Witwatersrand University’s Frankenwald Research Station and took an honours degree in Pasture Management.
He joined the Basutoland civil service in 1951 and spent the next 15 years in the Department of Agriculture improving farming methods and training farmers as a development officer and as an agricultural education officer. His teaching skill resulted in his appointment as principal of the Agricultural Training School and he travelled on agricultural studies to America, Britain, Israel, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Nigeria. In 1964 he was promoted to Principal Agricultural Officer.
Before independence in October 1966 Kotsokoane was sent to the British Embassy in West Germany to learn diplomacy in Bonn from one of its most skilled practitioners, Ambassador Sir Frank Roberts. He became Lesotho’s first High Commissioner in London, serving for more than two years until his recall in March 1969 to be Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In September 1970 he became Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Health and Social Welfare. Eighteen months later he returned to diplomacy as High Commissioner in East Africa.