The Basotho nation celebrates 200 years of existence.
The Basotho tribe in Mzansi and Lesotho held a bicentenary celebration of their existence on Saturday, 14 September.
The Basotho nation, which was formed by King Moshoeshoe I in 1824, focused their celebration on a purpose and vision to revive their dignity as well as transform into a new, better, progressive and united nation aligned with its culture.
The celebration started at the University of the Free State, QwaQwa campus on Friday, 13 September where Morena e Moholo Moremoholo Motebang Mopeli of Bakoena ba Mopeli royal house officially lit the national revival torch.
The torch, which is a call for social transformation and national revival, had a tour from January in Lesotho and will continue in Mzansi and the rest of the diaspora until December 2025.
In his address, King Moremoholo, said the nation should reunite and reconnect with the founding values as well as regenerate their patriotism.
- Morena e Moholo Moremoholo Motebang Mopeli of Bakoena ba Mopeli royal house. Photo by Joseph Mokoaledi
"We are a lost nation. We need to work hard to look back and practise what our founders wanted us to do. We need to protect our language and cultural values. It is in our hands as traditional leadership to protect our nation. We need to conquer agriculture to feed our nation and alleviate poverty," he said.
The Lesotho High Commissioner in South Africa, Ntsie Jafeta said: "It is time for the nation to reflect as a people and together become a new nation that we dream of and can become. The time for the revival of a nation that was once great and promising has come."
- Lesotho High Commissioner in South Africa, Ntsie Jafeta. Photo by Joseph Mokoaledi
Solly Mofoka, CEO of Project Renewal of Basotho Nation said this is a co-ordination exercise to widen stakeholder involvement at various levels in the social transformation and national revival agenda.
"It is an exercise meant to adjust all activities and sectors on the ground to embrace social the transformation and national revival purpose so that real transformation and possible socio-economic development can be realised at various levels.
- CEO of Project Renewal of Basotho Nation, Solly Mofoka. Photo by Joseph Mokoaledi
"This is an Arts and Cultural Festival created to be an umbrella project to tell of our story and purpose as Basotho from our founding to present-day reality, where we need to define the new nation that we ought to become as a people. This is a festival meant to tour in Lesotho and South Africa, and we want to pitch it as one of the main arts and cultural activities in the years to come," he said.
Free State MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture, Zanele Sifuba said the celebration should strengthen relations between Mzansi and Lesotho.
| Source: Daily Sun
