No to blanket amnesty
By Editorial
WE welcome news that Lesotho’s two biggest famo groups, Terene and Seakhi, have buried the hatchet following fruitful talks in Mafeteng at the weekend.
The leadership of the two groups has since pledged to lay down their weapons and work together to usher in a new era of peace in an industry that had become synonymous with mind-boggling violence more than musical excellence.
Over a hundred artistes and producers have died since 2009. Others have been left maimed for life.
Previous attempts to stop the killings had all failed leaving thousands of Basotho increasingly exasperated.
The failure to deal with the crisis could be attributed to a lack of political will on the part of the government, which is sad.
We had always known that bitter political wrangles were behind the famo clashes.
The groups were ostensibly linked to the All Basotho Convention (ABC) and the former ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) party.
But with the advent of a coalition government made up of the ABC and the LCD and the BNP, chances that the warring parties could be brought to the same table for talks were high.
It was critical then that the government should exploit this great window of opportunity to hammer a deal in Mafeteng.
While we welcome the peace deal we wish to state clearly that we do not agree with a blanket amnesty for those implicated in the killings.
An amnesty without some form of reparations for the aggrieved will not provide a lasting solution to the crisis in the famo music sector.
As a matter of principle we believe those who were responsible for the killings should be brought to book.
Extending a blanket amnesty to all murder suspects would set a very bad precedence.
The Mafeteng deal should not be used to halt police investigations to unearth what really happened during the past three years of carnage.
The government might have fallen to the big temptation to simply want to close this sad chapter and move on.
However, such a stance sends the wrong message to perpetrators. It could trigger fresh revenge killings on the part of the aggrieved.
We therefore urge the government to ensure justice for aggrieved families.
We believe those who lost their loved ones are expecting justice. They can only have a sense of closure when they know what really happened and why.
We also believe the peace deal should not be used to mask the serious problem we have highlighted before — that of too many unlicensed guns in the wrong hands.
Unless Lesotho clamps down on the presence of unlicensed guns we risk seeing a repeat of the same senseless killings on a much bigger scale in future.
To stop the use of unlicensed guns the police must step up inspections at our borders.
The courts must impose stiffer sentences for those caught with illegal firearms.
But the best solution to end violence lies in education.
As Basotho we must be taught, from infancy, that we cannot resolve all our problems through violence.
This will require a complete ideological shift.
We must move away from the belief that we can only resolve our problems through violence.
Our initiation schools seem to indoctrinate all young men to view violence as an expression of masculinity.
This must change.
The famo beat is a unique musical style that clearly identifies us as Basotho.
Remove the insulting lyrics the musical genre can hold its own alongside other musical styles. We believe more can be done to exploit this genre as a positive force for change.
The ceasefire between the famo groups should therefore allow these talented musicians to devote more time to develop their music.
With proper marketing we believe some of these musicians can stamp their mark on the continent.
The music industry can generate thousands of jobs for unemployed Basotho. What is required is harnessing talent, nurturing it and pumping enough resources to the arts sector.
Comment by Thope ea Bochabela on 20 September 2012:
Heaba ke hopola hantle ho shoele batho ka mahlakore a mabeli so ha ke utloe hore na ts’oarelano e ke keng ea eba teng hobanebg?
Comment by SEMATSATSA MABALANE on 20 September 2012:
Re leboha ha eba ho tla etsahala KOPANO EA LERATO.Re khathetse ke bo ntate bana bao motho a senang lithlong tsa ho ithoka a bolelisa ka moo a ka thunyang le ho bolaea joalo ka hoja batho ke menoang.Ha bake ba inahane hore ba khoebong. Ba ke ba bue khotso ba tlohele ho ipitsa ka mabitso a bo marashea hoba le rashea ha batsebe le hotseba. Retsa’aba le ho apara kobo tsa rona. Mosotho Chakela ako utloe na re ufile bitso le monate joang hore ebe re ikana ka uena rere MOSOTHO ke tlotla e kholo, bopang khotso ba heso rea rapela re lerata bohle AMEN
Comment by Bobete on 20 September 2012:
Leha e ke ke ea ba tharollo ea moshoelella “muso o etse recording studio Lesotho mona e be pina tsena tse bakang meferefere ha li hatisoe. Ke lumellana le Editorial hore “no blanket amnesty” hobane baetsi ba liketso tsena ha ba tsebahala ha hlahe kapela makhotla ho ikarabella.
Comment by Mooa Khotla on 20 September 2012:
Hona le batho ba batlang hore lebotho la bona (koeeoko) e se nkeloe likhato hoba joale ba ea busa.Taba ke hore polao Lesotho mona e ea torenkeloa, ntle le haeba joale ‘muso o batla likoetsa tsena tsa oona li tsoe tjoro joalo ka sapo la sopho, ba se qosoe.
Hela ‘muso hlokomela, ha le makhotla ho hang. Makhotla oona a tla etsa mosebetsi oa ho qosa, ntle le haeba le tla laela mapolesa ho se ts’oare batho ba bolaileng batho. ‘Me boiphetetso ke boo hee ‘muso hlokomela. Hee puso ea Manasi ..!!
Comment by Kolo on 20 September 2012:
@MooaKhotla pusong ea macongress a heso ka 1994 mohato a pulukanya puso dr ntsu mokhehle eaba ha macogress a ipelaetsa a nehelloa masole hoa shoa batho empa ba fuoa general amnesty ke eona puso ea rona ea macongress, ba nka qeto ea ho se qose babolai ba baitseki bao ba heso molemong oa khotso macongress a nnete eseng macongress-motoana a koenya mathe le mali bophelo ba tsoelapele ra sebetsa le manasi ka paramenteng. puso ena kea abc/lcd/bnp ka ho eona manasi ana le boemeli ba 5 feela ka paramenteng macongress a heso lcd ana le 26 kobotata ena le 30 which means puso ena eka se bitsoe ka manasi ho hang.
Comment by Tau ea matshekha on 21 September 2012:
moshemane enoa Chakela ola boelana le fito baba ba hatisa cd le famole athe ona batla nyamatsana ea hae e atamele haufi le ena. o kae famole? o kae sanko? o kae daniel? o kae semate? o kae selomo? o kae rants’o? ba bangata kea tseba. ke ngoana mang atlo latela? mahlanya?letono? kea ukoa kea tshaba. matlama a heso emellang thoko le sonnori seno se chakela 4 ur safety
Comment by LEJOE on 21 September 2012:
Tau ea matshekha ke lumellana le oena mona. nthoena ke seropo feela. Chakela o kotsi hle baneng ba batho. letlama ke le apere hoba nthoena ke thapo re apere. hase betsoe thabana morena.
Comment by Kolo on 21 September 2012:
@Tau ea matsekha o betsa lekhutla kea bona, cheuoe? ho bua litaba o sa li tsebe ebile o li kena ka hlohleletso ke bomalimane bo tsabehang. famole o bolailoe ke koloi e khannoa ke ena haho moo chakela a kenang. sanko o bolailoe ke motsoalle oa rantso le lekase ea bitsoang tello eleng eona taba e qabantseng chakela le rantso le lekase. selomo babolai ba hae nyeoe e kene ka khotla ba qoseletsoa le ka ho bolaea moliko oa pc fm ke batsehetsi ba seakhi ba tsebahalang ba mafeteng ba bile ba boletse na ba rongoe ke mang oa seakhi. semate ena le daniel ba ipolaetsoe ke batho ba terene ele ha semate a bolaile maema oa terene daniel ana le case ea murder ea motho oa terene mafeteng.
ka lehlohonolo lekase le chakela ba bone booatla ba ho bolaeana ba tsamaea hohle radiong phatlalatsa khotso le muso o phatlalalitse hore matona soulo le mochoboroane ba tlo tsamaea malapeng a angooeng ke ntoa tsena ba fana ka matseliso kamoo ho hlokahalang ba kopa khotso ke hona
oena sala o chencha mabitso lehahole joalo ke o lakaletsa katleho ntoeng ea hao le chakela
Comment by Mahlanya on 21 September 2012:
Kolo;wena ekaba u tsebang ngoana rona tloho hee re u joetse rona Makaota,daba li qalile lefung la Matsie maboloka.yaba Rantso ha bua are moona ho shoele kheleke seng sebini,Yaba Khosi ya terene eya koata,Rantso a mojoetsa are yena hana khosi ya moshanyana u tletse nkane utlets botjeike ke Rantso yeo.Khosi mmae wa loya u rata haele ngoana wa hae feela ya ruhang.Tau ya matsekha u le betse ho le Polasi wa terateng Pasuka wa ha makoetje esitana le yena Mmatseko ke topo tsa terene tseo,bajewe kr yona noha ya Chakela cos erata mali a batho.
Comment by LEJOE on 21 September 2012:
thnx mahlanya ka ho kenya kolo sekolo. a ilo mamela mmino atlatse ho araba. ke tla tshepa hore eletse mohlang ke bonang ka mahlo, eseng seropo sena sentseng se etsoa. ho shoele ba bakae ka mora lipuisano tse fetileng.
Comment by kompi on 21 September 2012:
lefu la motho le se le lebaloa feela ka handshake? Which law is that?
Comment by Linda on 21 September 2012:
@Kompi, u botsa hantle oeso. ‘Nete ha e eo ka hara naha ea Lesotho. ‘Na le bana beso ba bangata ha re sa li reka le hor li reka pina tsena tsa bona tse khanathetseng mali a bana ba batho. He le itlontlolotse bo ntate hle, ke hore le hloka seriti hoo! Haeso mona ha ho motho ea lestang pina tsa lona. Hee la tla la senya ntho e ntle!
Comment by Heri on 22 September 2012:
Che ngoana motho eo ea bolaileng Rants’o,Kolo u ntsore Daniel o bolauoe ke batho ba terene,u sitoa ho bolela lebitso la moshanyana eo hore ke Khofu?nxa,batho ba kobo tsa matlama ntho ena kee seropo ho ntso thoe taba li lokile,re se ee le khongoana holimo.
Comment by msholozi on 23 September 2012:
Le tlaila thifa joale big3. Kaha mpinge ea Chakela e se kh’oetse mafu a bana ba batho ase a laloa ka ‘mele? o tla ka sebete, ha u bone haa khahlametsoa ka koloi tse tsetsoeng ka khafa tsa naha hore ke ‘ntho e kholo’. Chakela, mona teng ngaka ea hau ha e ea u ja tsuo!
Comment by Kolo on 24 September 2012:
@mahlanya le oena ke o lakaletsa katleho ntoeng ea hao le chakela.
feela tlohela mashano o sa le monyane o phela ka ho sejeloa. hoja leshako lea tshollisa o ne oa lula o paqame lengopeng letseare buuuu. o bua ka taba tsa morao moo tsa matsie litaba tsena li qalile ka lefu la sanko ea bolailoeng ke ‘meke e moholo oa lekase le rantsho, tello. tlohela leshako sani haeba o na le issue le chakela itatele ena seka chaeletsa joaloka mosali tjena, bokolla-li-hlabane. le mao mohla a shoang o tlare ke chakela a molaileng
Comment by Lekaota on 24 September 2012:
Heleee!!!!!!!! le betsa ka majoe he!! ha e le moo le na le mapaki ha kaale ba heso ha le thuse mapolesa le makhotla ke eng ka batho baa? Ha ho motho ea lokelang ho bolaea e mong ho sa tsotelle boemo ba litaba hobane ho bolaea ho keke ha khutlisa ea bolailoeng. Ke ipotsa hore na e be beng ba taba tsena tsa lona na ba ka netefatsa kapa hona ho hanana le lona na? kamohlomong le ne le le teng. Fela he nnete ke hore taba tsa moshemane ha li ke li robaletsa, taba tsena tseo le li buang mona le li utloile kae kae li buuoa joale le li etsa tsa lona le bile le fatelana marole hona moo banna ba heso? Butleng hle banna, motho ha a batla motho ke tseba a mo supa hara theipi joale lona le khants’etsana na ke mang ea tsebang ho feta e mong joaloka basali!! haeba ho na le ea tsebang ho feta e mong, nnete eona e lula e le tutulu hle banna hao!!!. Motho ea bolaileng o tlameha ho araba ke phetho ke tu..!!! Maikutlo aka ke hore fela taba ea ho fa banna bana ba heso HERO’S welcome eona e fosahetse hobane ha ke utloisise na ba hlotse eng? Ka holimo ho moo ke ho tla tsosa maqeba a bana ba batho fela..!! Mohlomong ke ka hona ts’alo morao patlong ea khotso e thatafalang le bile le buang ka mokhoa ona! Khotso ke ntho e ntle ha e batloa kannete empa haeba ho na le tse patoang kea tiea-kea hlapanya ha ho khotso e re tla e bona makaoteng! Famole o ne a re khomo tsa matla a ntoa ha li na thuso…ke bona joale!!! Lehlohono le eena a bua ka thata a botsa ‘m’ae..a re hoja o tsebile a ke be a le hanne lefats’e lena la masetla libete!!!! Ke taba tsa bohloko ba pelo, taba tsena li ts’oana hantle fela le hip hop eane ea mose (USA). Likhomo!
Comment by connie on 26 September 2012:
Ke utloa pelo ea ka e se bohloko lekhale ke banna ba na ba bolaeanang re hloka banna ha kana. Ooe emisang ka lipolaeano tsena tse bakang likhutsana tse ngata ha kana ka hara metse.
Comment by rethabile on 26 September 2012:
http://www.publiceye.co.ls/
Comment by if-you-like on 26 September 2012:
@ KOMPI”"”lefu la motho le se le lebaloa feela ka handshake? Which law is that”"” CHEHE EMPA LICHELETE TSONA RE EA LI BATLA HO BA LI UTSOITSENG!!! E LE HORE LI BOHLOKOA HO FETA MAPHELO A BATHO????
Comment by jobo on 26 September 2012:
He ha BA re leka bo nkobonyane Le bo khohlopo
Comment by mahlanya on 26 September 2012:
Kolo,ngoana aka khale ke lelera mminong moona le khaitsedi ya Mmaneo Rantso, ule shano le lefung la Molotsana yena ntata lona yenoa wa mokhachane une a loants sebiri le letso la matedile(famole).Kolo wena ke wena ngoana mokhachane yeo wa mafahla ditla moloma dinotse tsa semana yena mmamese mmadiqobosho.Bereng ke ntate hase moshanyana;Chakela etla mehile ele nyatsi ya mmao wena kolo.
Comment by Leqobo on 26 September 2012:
bo ntate ba Seakhi, hona ke phephetso e kholo ho lona. khosi ea Terene e batla ho tlo lejella haufi le eena. ke hore le lule le lisitse poho e seke ea tsoana ea lehlaba.
Comment by Leqobo on 26 September 2012:
uena jobo ha hona ntho eo u etsebang u motso feela u rata ntho tseo fetang.
Comment by Kolo on 28 September 2012:
@mahlanya sheba mona oena boseberoana bo ipitsang mahlanya haeba khale o matha le rantso o tla ntseba hantle hake potele khaale ke terepa likoata ha Masechaba mono ka litlelapa. ntatao bereng eno o tsoarane le nyatsi ea mao chakela ka matsoho ba bopa khotso so oena haeba o na le khang le bona ba late o ba qabanye kapa o hlo ba bolae ba le babeli kaha o ipolesisa bohale ba ntoa. basatsana ba kang oena tjena ke bona ba khalengoang le ho letsetsa kheleke tsena eba le thota mashano le bua ba bang hampe, itlhokomele ke bona lekase le mahlanya ba jele oena eseng chakela
Comment by molateli oa morena mahlanya on 23 November 2012:
ho na le music video o mong chena ea batho ba terene ba itlontlolla teng ba bolaea motho oa letlama baikhakantse ka kobo tsa bahale letlama…..morena mahlanya ke seropo fela mona le ‘muso oa lesotho o tlatsitse terene nxa
Comment by molateli oa morena mahlanya on 23 November 2012:
he oena kolo o shebe sefahleo sa lekase moo motloputsoana oa monkhela o ithome hao bone nxa
Comment by Tau Ya Kgale on 27 November 2012:
lea tseba keng le tla nyela kaofela lona.
Comment by Likobo thaba-lepapa on 27 March 2013:
Hantle lona hale tsebe na sanko o bolaioe ke mang!ke hopola haho patoa molotsana ngoana mmajena ona ile ka moo empa baitse balo mobolaea!fla hare bua nnete tona kholo ea rona le motlatsi oa hae khale ba rotetsa kobo tsa matlama mafung a batho ba terene.hape ngoanenoa oa nkhono joalane hauka sheba batho bane bale pela hae ba shoele boholo ba bona!
Comment by tk on 14 April 2013:
It was a good piece until you got into some wild speculation about initiation schools. For the part before that, your article is brilliant. Big ups. However, I understand journalism is a tough industry, not so much in Lesotho, but I’m sure whatever piece you write, you want to make a statement about your wits and your vision on the subject matter. That’s a noble ambition which can only be adulterated by wild speculation as evinced by what you just said about cultural institutions! If you don’t know, its ok, it doesn’t mean you’re stupid, but cultural school are thus designed, esoteric, with only those who have undergone the practice knowledgeable of what goes on! Retract that part and you actually have yourself a contender for article of the year. And oh, if you’re curious about what those guys do out there in the mountain, pay them a visit, they’re very hospitable, you’ll be welcome with arms open!
Comment by tk on 14 April 2013:
As for what goes into the lyrics, what planet do you live in, or u just landed on earth by accident? Because, dude, music is about sex, money and guns! If you ever heard of a genre called hip-hop and if you can in any way decipher the poetry in Famo and hip-hop, then you’ll expunge that part too. Unless of course you’re one of those hollow parodies of westernization. Its good if its in english, abominable if in your indigenous? Really dude? Chill. Some of us are actually see Famo music as an opportunity to rebuild our language! You think I’m kidding? Just pick one Famo track and spit the flows from start to finish, exactly in the order the artists delivers them!! I thought as much!