A music broadcast ban has been imposed on two local traditional musicians after they were seen performing and declaring their unwavering support at a series of the new opposition party, All Basotho Convention (ABC) rallies. ..reports Public Eye of 12/01/2006
16 comments:
The full story of the musical ban imposed by the acting Minister of Communications as reported by Public Eye is as follows:
"This is the first music ban in the history of Radio Lesotho imposed by government. Trade and industry minister Mpho Malie, who is also the acting communications minister confirmed he imposed a ban on the two popular musicians; Lephat’soa Lebajoa and Rethabile Mokete but gave them a chance to go and give a serious thought to their political behaviour. The two musicians hail from Mafeteng, and they are popularly known in music circles as Selomo and Mosotho Chakela. Malie imposed the ban that prohibits the duo’s music from being played on state broadcaster Radio Lesotho, citing their active participation in the ABC rallies as reason for the ban. Selomo learnt that his music has been banned on Radio Lesotho after he was denied a slot on Sebina sa Kajeno interview programme. He said that deputy principal secretary of communications Thabiso Makintane told him that acting communications minister Mpho Malie had ordered him to cancel that slot. “I made an appointment to meet Mr Malie in order to hear from him why he has banned my music,” Selomo said. Selomo said that Malie, in the company of deputy principal secretary of communications, Thabiso Makintane, told him that his music and that of Chakela would never be played on Radio Lesotho because they have been participating in the opposition party rallies. Selomo has denied being a card carrying member of ABC but he said he was there as a musician because he was invited to entertain people at the rally.
“I wouldn’t care if my music is not played on other radio stations because they do not use our taxes, but Radio Lesotho belongs to us as a nation and it operates by the help of our taxes. I do not understand why our music has been banned. I think we are denied our social freedom,” Selomo said. In a telephonic interview, Malie confirmed that Selomo’s music has been banned from Radio Lesotho. “Traditional music is something that unites the nation but if it is sung at political rallies in favour of a certain party continuously, people lose interest in that music as it serves a different purpose. Therefore I advised Selomo and his producers to go back and think over our discussion,” he said. Malie, who says he would have done the same if the same situation applied to the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) or any political party’s rally, said now that the musicians are followers of political parties their music would be played when politicians are given opportunity through a special programme over the radio. Malie has denied that by banning the music he is effectively depriving the musicians of their right to freedom of association and right to political choice. During an ABC public gathering at Hlotse in Leribe on Sunday, Chakela fumed at the ban: “I don’t know what it is that I sang which made caused my music not to be played by Radio Lesotho. …But my cassettes sell like HIV/Aids pills because I have all supporters behind me.”
Chakela wondered why they were slammed with a ban while one late former popular singer, Matsie once sang “Ntate Mokhehle h’a bolaoe Sekhonyana” in reference to Basotho National Party (BNP) leader, the late Retselisistsoe Sekhonyana. The track was played by Radio Lesotho. Matsie’s song was popular in the run up to 1993 general elections which were won by his favourite leader, the late Ntsu Mokhehle, then prime minister of Lesotho. Selomo told the gathering at the ABC rally that musicians contributed in the generation of revenue for the state, despite facing many challenges. He invited Basotho to render full support to the ABC by voting it into power early next year, referring to its leader as his potential prime minister. Tensions run high as the country prepares for the next elections in 2007. There was a shooting at Malie’s place last week in which a Bill Clinton Foundation worker from Netherlands lost her life while the driver sustained serious injuries from gun shots. Malie suspected that the shooting was politically motivated. “It is surprising that many parliamentarians are attacked at their homes. Mr Monyane Moleleki and Bereng Sekhanyana were both shot at their homes, today it has happened to me and I had a narrow escape. I suspect I was the target as the victims were driving a car which is similar to the one I drive,” he said. The leader of Popular Front for Democracy (PFD), Advocate Lekhetho Rakuoane MP, said the action by the acting minister of communication was a breach of the country’s constitution.
Chakela wondered why they were slammed with a ban while one late former popular singer, Matsie once sang “Ntate Mokhehle h’a bolaoe Sekhonyana” in reference to Basotho National Party (BNP) leader, the late Retselisistsoe Sekhonyana. The track was played by Radio Lesotho. Matsie’s song was popular in the run up to 1993 general elections which were won by his favourite leader, the late Ntsu Mokhehle, then prime minister of Lesotho. Selomo told the gathering at the ABC rally that musicians contributed in the generation of revenue for the state, despite facing many challenges. He invited Basotho to render full support to the ABC by voting it into power early next year, referring to its leader as his potential prime minister. Tensions run high as the country prepares for the next elections in 2007. There was a shooting at Malie’s place last week in which a Bill Clinton Foundation worker from Netherlands lost her life while the driver sustained serious injuries from gun shots. Malie suspected that the shooting was politically motivated. “It is surprising that many parliamentarians are attacked at their homes. Mr Monyane Moleleki and Bereng Sekhanyana were both shot at their homes, today it has happened to me and I had a narrow escape. I suspect I was the target as the victims were driving a car which is similar to the one I drive,” he said. The leader of Popular Front for Democracy (PFD), Advocate Lekhetho Rakuoane MP, said the action by the acting minister of communication was a breach of the country’s constitution."
Why do this guys act so crazy..!!??
Well I liked this part .."Chakela wondered why they were slammed with a ban while one late former popular singer, Matsie once sang “Ntate Mokhehle h’a bolaoe Sekhonyana” in reference to Basotho National Party (BNP) leader, the late Retselisistsoe Sekhonyana. The track was played by Radio Lesotho. Matsie’s song was popular in the run up to 1993 general elections which were won by his favourite leader, the late Ntsu Mokhehle, then prime minister of Lesotho.."
He must have had a bout of madness when he took the decision to ban the music of Selomo and Chakela from playing on Radio Lesotho.
He acted as though he owns the public broadcaster. However, I would not be surprised to find that he now owns it. You cannot put it against this lot these days.
The honourable minister's behaviour is akin to the following:
- censorship, a word which had disappeared from our vocabulary for a while (at least since the Military Rule of the 90's)
- violation of fundamental human rights on the part of Selomo and Chakela
- denying the two musicians of their right to freedom of speech.
- denying them of their right to freedom of association
- interference in the programming of the public broadcaster. Who knows, next he might want to read the news himself.
I am so disgusted by this behaviour that I am going to report it to Transparency International and any other Human Rights organisation that is willing to listen.
This act should be treated with the contempt it deserves...phooa!
Its now clear that 'muso o litulong is have a trouble with the new political party.
Anybody has the social right to promote his/her music in any occassion if invited and hence I don't see any harm with singing at ABC, LCD or any other party's rally no matter my political prefence. Singers are there to promote the albums not political parties. Well in Mr Malie thinks that may hinder the selling of the albums, then I don't see how it coincides with the broadcasting radio.
Mr Malie is atticulating the shooting of Bills gates worker, Sekhonyana and Moleleki attacks to the ABC party which in my opinion is a way to defame and broadcast bad propaganda for the new party.
Joale sea monyela setoropo molaleng oa LCD and all sorts of things are still to crop out. Ha-e shoa e ea raha!!!
In my earlier post I meant to say "..you cannot put it past this lot these days.."
I was so disgusted by the behaviour of the acting minister of communications that I have sent emails to both Transparency International and Carter Centre.
Transparency International promotes transparency and good governance while Carter Centre promotes human rights. The latter has responded already while the former has not yet.
I just wonder you guys have seen this article from Sunday times:
Dutch aid worker gunned down as Lesotho gears up for elections
Julian Rademeyer: Lesotho
3 December 2006
I was real target, says Cabinet minister of latest in series of ‘politically motivated’ shootings
IT WAS a Friday night like any other at the poolside of the Lesotho Sun Hotel. Happy hour had come and gone and the tables were still buzzing with drinks and laughter.
Earlier that day, King Letsie III had formally dissolved parliament to pave the way for elections, now set for February 17.
In one corner, a group of aid workers held an impromptu farewell party. Four of them would be leaving Lesotho within days. Ellen Verweij, a nurse specialising in Aids, and her partner, Wiert de Raaf, had spent six weeks volunteering with the Clinton Foundation HIV/Aids Initiative.
The Dutch couple were about to embark on the next leg of a three-month trip across Southern Africa.
Hours later, Verweij, 35, was dead, believed to be the victim of a hit man’s bullet and the Byzantine intrigues of Lesotho’s increasingly murky politics.
The killing has focused renewed attention on a mysterious series of unsolved shootings involving some of the kingdom’s most influential political office bearers.
In January, Lesotho’s Foreign Minister Monyane Moleleki was reportedly shot and wounded outside his home. His critics claim that he staged the attack.
In June, Chief Bereng Sekhonyana, a member of parliament for the Basotho National Party, was gunned down in his driveway.
And Verweij was shot outside a guesthouse owned by Lesotho’s Trade and Industry Minister, Mpho Malie, who also lives on the property .
Verweij, her boyfriend and two other volunteers arrived by taxi at the minister’s house at about 10.30pm last Friday. Police believe up to three gunmen were lying in wait.
The four passengers got out and taxi driver Mohau Selete began to reverse the car. The survivors later told police they heard two “firecrackers” explode and then “all hell broke lose”. Police later found 24 spent cartridge cases in the road outside the property.
Recalling the attack, Selete said: “I couldn’t believe what was happening, but I knew the shots were for real ... I got hit twice in my back and once in the arm.”
Selete said he saw Verweij slumped on the ground with her colleagues “trying to help her as it rained with bullets”. The shooting stopped abruptly and the gunmen vanished.
Selete called his cousin Thabang who rushed to the house in his taxi and drove him and Verweij to the hospital.
Medical staff at the Queen Elizabeth II hospital battled to save Verweij’s life, but they could not stop the bleeding.
Malie says he was the target of the shooting and that the killers mistook the taxi for his official silver-grey Mercedes-Benz.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, he hinted that elements in the newly-formed All Basotho Convention (ABC) were responsible for the shooting.
The ABC was formed in October after former Communications Minister Tom Thabane broke away from the ruling party with 17 other members of parliament.
“The whole thing was not meant for Ellen ... There is no doubt that all three of these shootings were politically motivated.”
This week police offered a R200000 reward for information leading to arrests and convictions in all three shootings
Moleleki, Malie’s Cabinet colleague and Foreign minister, also blames the ABC.
“I’ve said from day one that I was convinced the attack on me came from within my own party and since then, our party has broken up, and it is the same elements in this new party that we suspect ... ”
A war of words has also erupted between Moleleki and the police.
He claims they have conspired to destroy evidence of the attack on him. “If we don’t name and shame our police force, we are going to have a bloodbath in the next election,” he said this week.
But a ccording to Inspector Pheello Mphana, the police, “can’t say whether he was shot or not. There were some bullet holes in the vehicle and he was admitted to the Military Hospital for something like two days, but we have been refused access to the medical records. We found no cartridges at the scene.”
Moleleki says he was shot in the right forearm. “At my house we picked up shells from a Galil rifle of the type issued to our military.
“Our suspicions lie squarely on the new All Basotho Convention.”
Commenting on widespread rumours that he had stabbed himself in the arm to make it appear he had been shot, Moleleki said his bodyguards had been “taken away by police for four days” after the shooting. “They were tortured day and night, brutally tortured, into admitting a preposterous scenario that I staged the attack on myself.”
But Thabane described the allegations against his party as “ unadulterated nonsense”.
“How do you target Malie and shoot a white woman? Does he look like a white woman to you?”
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Insight/Article.aspx?id=333177
Sekhohola, could this be linked to the censorship of the famo musicians?
Well Mosothoane, I think it shows how much the LCD ministers lack logic. Both Malie and Moleleki blame Tom for what apparently happened to them yet they have no tangible evidence- I bet when they have running stomachs they still blame Tom. In the first instance, nothing happened to minister Malie at all, yet he claimed he was the target. The person shot was a lady while he is male, she was white and he is black, she was from a taxi and he drives a mercedes (and has bodyguards!). She is not the only one who was shot at but everybody in that scene and nobody knows whether any of the people on the scece had some enemies or whatever. Is this logical anyhow? I think it is a way of misdirecting the nation not to focus on what they are up to- I won't be suprised if he has anything to do with the shooting of that woman. Of course he knows that he himself has messed up the nation by the famo music issue -ke `mutl'a kotloa tsebe, o tsoha lifotle. In the case of Moleleki, police are denied access to medical records and there is no proof that whatever he had was from shots or not - is this stupid or what? Ke maholi a patile maeba! Face it Malie angered part of the nation by banning some artists and there is no need to refer to Moleleki's languange towards baostho who elected him. These guys start claiming their incidences were politically motivated when they themselves irritated ordinary people- who are they a threat to? Blaming Tom is probably their way of starting to complain about the outcome of the elections that have not yet started - for life threats.They complain about the police who will eventually play a huge role during the elections as an effort to built up their case if it so happens that they lose in the coming elections - they will start claiming that the election were not free and fair as LCD members were threatened (including them). Note that Moleleki has already talked about "bloodbath in the next election". This is very ridiculous since the police are still under their control. This bring me to the next issue. There is nowhere in the world where a foreign minister ever complain about lawlessness in his country because one of his jobs is to attract foreign investers and tourists to the country. Who will visit or invest in Lesotho amid the crime in which the police do not uphold the law and the government has no control over the police. He complains that his bodyguards are tortured by the police, this directly implies that under LCD government the judiciary system is obsolete because if not then obviously either he as the minister or minister of home affairs and public safety or lawyers or whatever legal system will take action upon such incidences. To someone who has brains and follows what happens in Lesotho it is clear that they themselves as the govenrtment have made the legal system obsolete by enriching themselves with public funds, sending the police to go out and kill anybody whom they felt was not going in line with them, the so called thieves of animals, the womem in the factories and baitsokoli and using the national radio as their private property. They are afraid putting into effect the legal system because it is going to eat them up. They cannot handle the police cases properly because they have misused the police and now the whole thing is backfiring - God help us! And now they go and shout at the roof tops of RSA newspaper for the world to come and rescue them as if they are innocent just like they did in 1998 when they send RSA army on peacefully protesting basotho citizens - remember at that time it was the military that refused to shoot innocent people.The lesotho politics under LCD have been like a joke or `mantloane to be precise! The ministers had given themselves absolute powers and now they foresee problems ahead and start crumpling and probably launching attacks on themselves just so that someone will be blamed.
Someone on the other forum (Public eye) has posted a 2002 article where RSA gave Lesotho more than R2billions to make improvements for 5 years from then. The question that is asked is what happened to the money (the five years is coming to an end). Here is the article:
R2,3-billion agreement for South Africa and Maseru (Sapa, Maseru, 08/05) -
South Africa and Lesotho signed a five year agreement worth about R2,3-billion in Maseru on Wednesday that aims to uplift the landlocked kingdom. The agreement, under the auspices of the joint bilateral commission of co-operation programme between Lesotho and South Africa, was signed by Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and her Lesotho counterpart Tom Thabane. This followed the agreement between Lesotho and South Africa concluded by Prime Minister Pakali Mosisili and President Thabo Mbeki in April last year. A joint communique issued after the signing ceremony said the purpose of the agreement was to "uplift Lesotho from its current status as a least developed country within a period of five years". The statement said the officials concerned had been directed to speedily implement the development programme in the areas of economic governance, security and stability, and social development. The projects that were launched on Wednesday include the Maluti-Drakensberg trans-frontier conservation and development area (R155-million), GEO Chemical Mapping project (R1,1-million), a stone cutting project (R2,1-million), technical assistance in commercial livestock production (R2,07-billion) and the development of an industrial estate south of Maseru (R46-million). The programme included a road construction project involving the upgrading of the road infrastructure linking Mokhotlong district in the north eastern highlands to Sani Pass and Underberg in KwaZulu-Natal.
http://www.queensu.ca/samp/migrationnews/2002/may/1.htm
Has this money gone to the Merc or whatever?
The famo people enjoy lauching physical (using whatever means) and verbal attacks on each other - now here is someone who puts himself up as a target for practice and attack. Basotho enjoy famo music -here is someone who ensures downfall of LCD by provoking the whole nation on what they enjoy. Do these guys have a mental problem or what?
lumelang ke teng ke tla khutla haofi
Sekhohola, this is an interesting article. I think we should quizz Tom Thabane about the R2.3 billion. He is better placed to shed some light in terms of the full status of the finances as well as progress relating to the relevant projects.
Frankly, i don't think that these LCD clowns will care to give us a report on this matter.
I am going to post this question to Tom and ABC as soon as they have a comments box and email.
Nkokoto do u think Tom will give some information on that, he was part of what ever scam , so i think he will give out some but other""?Do n't u think the question is good when LCD go to radio or TV to present thir manifesto, i think it will be good at that time , so tha ppl are aware of their scam.they have so many of the kind that they have empowered themselves with, ( Do u know when going to china ba il'o kopa , ha ba fumane ba re hoa ikeloa?)this was said by the minister of finance last year, its humiliating.
i think the so called Malie has to go to public a kope tsoarelo.
do anybody here has anything about the commussior of police and Moleleki , if you ppl have something could u post it for us?!
Likhomo!
Someimes what people say and what they do go in opposite diretion! Or is it because money is never enough? How is the case below different from that of our politicans? Are there simlarities between the strategy that is used to win the trust of the nation or pulic and then mislead the very nation for personal enrichment? If there is a similarity in the strategy, could it explain why our leaders would not want to step down, perhaps because it is not only a political status and serving the nation as it may appear, but also misuse of the resources that someone has at hand even if the salary and benefits themselves may not be too high. Here is the case I am talking about:
09/12/2006 19:50 - (SA)
Pastures don’t look too green for jailed DJ
Despite being granted bail, Bible-bashing Lesedi FM DJ Thuso Motaung will spend his birthday in jail.
His wife Mmamontha, who is also a Lesedi FM DJ, is behind bars too. They were both granted R100 000 bail but had to have surety worth R900 000 in non-cash assets as a way of ensuring they would honour their next court appearance.
The surety process takes four to five weeks to administer. This increases the likelihood that the Motaungs, together with their business partner Joshua Ramme, might also spend New Year’s Day in prison.
The trio will appear again in the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court on January 24. They are accused of defrauding the SABC of R42 million in advertising revenue over three years.
The investigation into their case was a closely-guarded secret for a year until the police struck this week.
Motaung, whose 47th birthday is on December 18, hosted Lesedi FM’s massively popular show Makhulong a Matala (Along Green Pastures) on Sundays. He also hosted the afternoon show Bua le Yona during weekdays, and is known for his sermons on moral behaviour.
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the Motaungs have been suspended pending the outcome of their court case.
According to the charge sheet, the trio allegedly used seven of their companies to commit fraud, theft, copyright infringement, money laundering, non-disclosure of conflict of interests and corruption.
The state alleges that they were involved in an intricate network of agreements with other companies and the SABC’s radio airtime sales division. They are accused of using these agreements to market their products and other companies’ products on air for monetary gains.
They allegedly had direct interests in some of the companies they marketed and promoted on their radio shows. They reportedly never declared their interests.
They are also alleged to have misappropriated money due to Lesedi FM into their businesses and personal accounts.
Their companies were appointed to promote and market Power Mix, a pre-cooked instant porridge made from protein isolates and extruded maize. The product received advertising exposure on Lesedi FM to the tune of R5.4 million.
It is also alleged that Thuso used the Lesedi FM logo on Power Mix products without the SABC’s permission.
They are also accused of personally endorsing products in which they had interest for more than the contractually agreed time.
Here is the breakdown of the money the SABC claims it has lost due to the alleged fraud:
R3.4 million with regards to the R1 per packet social responsibility agreement towards Comino Distributors, the company that owns and produces Power Mix;
R2.9 million to Lesedi FM;
R7.6 million the accused deposited into their accounts from Comino Distributors as consultation fees or commission;
R6.3 million from Comino Distributors as an unlawful benefit
R6.3 million from Comino Distributors relating to being a party to an employment agreement;
R2.3 million for misappropriation of SABC airtime;
R6.3 million as an offered benefit by Comino Distributors;
R2.3 million misappropriation of SABC airtime;
R740 000 as wrongful benefit in profit share as a member of Tshebo Health, trading as Bophelo Health;
R704 000 profit share from another of the accused’s companies, Kusho CC;
R300 000 profit share as a trustee of Dotifa Pharmaceuticals Trust; and
3.6 million units of Power Mix sold displaying the Lesedi FM logo, resulting in an equal monetary loss to the SABC.
http://www.news24.com/City_Press/News/0,,186-187_2042795,00.html
To me this DJs were not only public figures but really showed a lot of leaderhip skills. Solving a lot of national problems, motivating people all around and attracting a huge followership for lesedi FM. Is the case above the reason why they were working so hard -covering their tracks and knowing that there are huge undergroud benefits? To me THEY WALKED THE TALK. They were performers in their respetive fields. But then what was the motive behind their performance?
Let us all go and vote for whoever we think we develop our country. But let us also be prepared for huge disappointmet when those we trusted betray the trust we put in them by mileading us when they are in power and are filling their pockets. i.e Let us all be prepared for a case similar to the one stated above! When a situation like this arises, let us be prepared to accept the facts and change our minds towards such a leader -let us not be die-hards of a party even when they are robbing us and trying very hard to FEED US LIES WHEN REQUIRE FOOD!
What is Moleleki and his government up to?
Here one article:
Officials: Lesotho expels Libyan ambassador
The Associated PressPublished: December 14, 2006
MASERU, Lesotho: The Lesotho government has expelled the Libyan ambassador to the country, government officials said Thursday.
Foreign Affairs officials, who could not be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Mahumud El Gamudi had been given 72 hours to leave the small southern African kingdom.
No official comment has been given, but it is believed that the government was unhappy about the ambassador's close relationship with former Cabinet minister Thomas Thabane.
Thabane quit the Cabinet this year to form the All Basotho Convention, which is expected to challenge the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy under Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili in Feb. 17 elections.
The officials said the order came from Foreign Minister Monyane Moleleki, who left Wednesday for New York.
Today in Africa & Middle East
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They said Gamudi, who was often seen socializing with Thabane, was in Bloemfontein in neighboring South Africa waiting for a connecting flight to Johannesburg.
Thabane said he was aware of the deportation but had no information on the reason.
"I heard about this through some people who are close to me. When I was in government I was very close to the Libyan ambassador. But when I quit, I cut ties with him so that he may not be accused of letting his country meddle in Lesotho's politics.
"He was my friend but we never spoke about any sponsorship of my party either from him personally or from the Libyan government. I feel so sad about this," he said.
There have been diplomatic ties between the two countries since 2001 and Libya is helping Lesotho in its fight against HIV/AIDS.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/14/africa/AF_GEN_Lesotho_Libya.php
Thabo, the expulsion of the Libyan Ambassador from Lesotho is quite a disturbing development. With this act, Moleleki has just confirmed that he is tactically wanting.
He will certainly go down the anals of history as the worst Foreign Affairs Minister we have seen in our 40 years of existence as an independent country. Lesotho cannot afford such grandstanding, nor can it afford the arrogance, which is purely based on myopic partisan politics.
We are going to find it very difficult to award the "MORON OF THE YEAR" trophy. The reason is simple, he has very stiff competition from his colleague and friend, the acting Minister of Communications.
Ke ipotsa hore na e be Monghali Malie o tla koasa ka Se-ea-le-moea ho fihlela neng. Ebe o tla betsa Tshepo Tshola le Bhudhaza ka likotlo-qobello, ho thibela 'mino oa bona ho letsoa Radio Lesotho? Ke bona eka ha ho sa tla ba le 'mino oa libini tsa Basotho o tla lla ho Radio Malie.
Unfortunately for him, there are are so many radio stations for listeners to choose from. We are actually spoilt for choice. These acts are just signs of "HA E SHOA, E EA RAHA"
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