Residents want mortuary closed
MASERU — Khubetsoana residents are up in arms against a local funeral parlour which they want shut down.
Residents say the mortuary, run by Martin’s Funeral Services, should shut down or relocate elsewhere because their area is reserved for residential and small grocery shops and not mortuaries.
They also say it is against Basotho culture for young children to be exposed to corpses.
They say the security wall built around the mortuary is not high enough to prevent children from seeing what is taking place in the funeral home.
Martin’s Funeral Services is however arguing their business is perfectly legal as they acquired a building permit from the Maseru City Council (MCC) after getting an Environmental Impact Assessment by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment.
The funeral home also is in possession of a document certified by Khubetsoana’s Chief Hlathe Majara showing that there had been wide public consultations before the mortuary was granted an operating licence.
The dispute has set the stage for a bruising fight between villagers and Martin’s Funeral Services.
The villagers this week told the Lesotho Times that they do not want the mortuary anywhere near their houses as they had not been consulted.
A community representative, Mohau Mokhoromeng, said Martin’s Funeral Services never consulted them when they started the business.
Mokhoromeng said the funeral parlour’s manager, only identified as Mrs Motsumi, never bothered to attend the villagers’ meetings where their concerns were raised.
“She didn’t consult us,” Mokhoromeng said.
“She talked to some residents who were working at fato-fato (a food-for-work programme) in Ha-Mabote village who said they needed that development.”
He added: “We suggested that she should go and build the (mortuary) for people who needed it and leave us alone because we are not comfortable with the project.”
“But we were shocked to see that our chief had authorised the business yet he had not spoken to us as his people to find out if it’s a development that we needed in our village,” he said.
Another villager, Manka Rapholo, said a mortuary was the last thing they wanted in their community.
“They should have consulted with us first but even if they did we would have turned them down as we don’t need a mortuary in our village,” Rapholo said.
“This kind of business traumatises us in the village and even if they build big walls we won’t be happy because we know what is kept inside,” he said.
Some of the residents said Motsumi had been invited to attend community meetings on several occasions but she never attended.
“We invited the mortuary owner on several occasions to some of our meetings and she never attended any of them or sent any representative,” said a villager.
An assistant to the chief, Santi Rampopo, said they had a meeting with the Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Trade, Sam Mphaka, who promised to engage the police and the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences to investigate how Motsumi acquired documents allowing her to build the mortuary there.
Mphaka allegedly promised to investigate why Chief Majara certified a document that said Motsumi consulted the people knowing that she had not.
“It is going to be investigated how the chief could certify the document yet he knew very well that people that were interviewed were not his villagers,” Rampopo said.
“The document was done in 2008 and the mortuary was opened in 2011,” he said.
MCC spokesperson, Lintle Moerane, said they gave Martin’s Funeral Services mortuary a certificate to operate based on the Impact Environmental Assessment report they got from the Environmental Health Department.
“The IEA report showed that they had passed and we had to do our duty to give them the certificate but then we heard that villagers were not happy,” Moerane said.
“It was also alleged that people who were consulted were working at a fato-fato in Ha-Mabote, which is another village,” she said.
Motsumi said she could not immediately comment as she was out of the country and promised to give her side of the story today.
Efforts to contact Chief Hlathe and Mphaka were not successful last night.
Comment by Nthokasefubeng on 14 March 2013:
Skebe ba tloaela Motsumi hampe bana, ba batla haele bona ba khoebong eo haele moo ba bile bare bantse ba batla mmoshara fela ha moraonyana. Skaba tsoa mono Motsumi. Habare u koale tje bare ba ufa chelete ea sebaka se seng, ho se developa, le lits’enyehelo tsohle tseo u keneng ho tsona le tseo u tla kena ho tsona? Hona moo moo bareng u ee khoebo e teng?
Comment by Thabiso on 14 March 2013:
Its a pity. The monies that got spend to erect businesses like that is so substantial and the residents knew from day one what kind of business will be operating there. Unless otherwise stated in any of our governing laws regarding this kind of business i have a fear that we will stand in the way of developing this country if our bases for allowing what kind of a business should be allowed to operate within our community is culture and beliefs. In as long as the community works hand in hand with that Mortuary to see to it that it always lives up to their expectations in terms of health and environment then it is their fault. Any business can operate anywhere as long as it becomes part of the community on which it operate
Comment by LEKHOARA on 14 March 2013:
Taba ena ea baahi ba Khubetsoana has nothing to do with environmental health, ke litumelo tse basotho tsa hore litopo lia ootsa, tse ts’oanang le tsa hore ho seke hoa anehoa liphahlo mots’eare li tla baka letolo, setopo ha see mabitleng motseare, basali ba roale ha baea mabitleng, ho rapella pula e.t.c
Tumelo e etsa monga eona lekhoba, e motima monyetla oa ho sebelisa kelello ho inahana. Baahi ba khubetsoana bare bana ba bonts’oa litopo, joale potso ke hore ba libonts’oa joang? hobane ha hona mohlang bana ba nkoang ba kengoa ka mortuareng ho ea bona litopo. Hase Khubetsoana feela moo ho nang le mortuary, hare so utloe baahi ba libaka tse ling ba bua mehlolo ena ea batho ba Khubetsoana.
Comment by Tlhase on 14 March 2013:
The PS – Trade and Industry is not Mr Sam Mphaka, but Mr Moahloli Mphaka. These are different individuals. Do your homework Lesotho Times.
Comment by Tlhase on 14 March 2013:
This is absolute nonsense. This is a legitimate business and if our Laws are not violated and EIA has been done to the satisfaction of the authorities, the mortuary should be allowed to operate in Khubetsoana. What’s so special about Khubetsoana compared to Ha Pita, Lithoteng, Mapoteng and other places that have mortuaries. This is unfair to the businessman or businesswoman. Outdated beliefs have no place in the modern world. To hell with the villagers. They should go hang or jump in the lake!
Comment by Young on 14 March 2013:
I stay in the same vicinity, but I have nothing against that funeral parlour. I think the people complaining a just a small caucus of either ignorant or illiterate people.
If not, these are just jealous and irrational bigots that want to impose their superstitious believes on everyone. They are too blinded by myths to realise that “lits’ebeletso li tlile ka bathong”.
Not everyone enjoys the whole stress and effort of having to go through a highly congested town of Maseru with the corpes of their loved ones on a busy friday afternoon. Thuto e kae basotho. Boloi le lithotsela are long overdue myths that will entrap us and deny us progress and development.
Comment by Lerato on 14 March 2013:
Hao Basotho! Ebe bothata ke hore moshara o butsoe ke motho oa mosali kapa joang? ke bona limoshara tse ngata ka hara naha ka mona tse ka hara metse, mohlala o mong ke oa Lesotho Funeral Leribe mane ha Rampai, ha ke eso utloe ho thoe batho ba moo ba ea loana ba re moshara o ka hara motse. Basotho ebe molato keng? Ha le rate lintlafatso hobaneng? ‘Me eo a file ba bang ba bo lona metsebetsi a bile a tlisitse lits’ebeleltso sechabeng? Le hlotse ke ho se rate lintlafatso, motho o hana a fuoe lijo a batle ho fuoa khaba ha khaba e fihla a hane ho isa khaba molomong kapa hona ho hlafuna.
K’khuuuuuuuoe!
Comment by Mojela on 14 March 2013:
Helang batho, kannete hlathe oabe a se ajele tjotjo! hm! O ts’abe nthoeno.lona a ke letlohe mona,o kautloa e le ntho ejoang ha ose o haisane le litopo ka mora ntlo eahao!hao fiela se seng sea fihle, khele! ha se ntho e mona te eno.Lebua ho ba ne le sa lule khubetsoana, a ko bafeng sets’a ba tle halona letle le utloe na le tla thaba…a ke re lona litopo le liotloisisa.
TLOHANG MONA,HA RE E BATLE RONA NTHOENO KA HA RA MOTSE.SOKA!
Comment by morusu on 14 March 2013:
hase nnete hore sechaba se botsitsoe, haele morena eena realitseba taba tsa hae hase motho oa nnete. empa le ha hole le joalo ha ke khahlano le mmoshara ha feela bohloeki ekaba ntho e teng, le litshebeletso tsa oona lia khahlisa, WE NEED PUBLIC HEARING ND CONSULATATION, Santi eare a lula pela teng empa asa tsebe ele ra mohlongoana, Hlathe eena taba tsee o linka kae?
Comment by Tlhase on 14 March 2013:
Mojela, Funny though that people don’t mind residing on or next to a cemetery or graveyard. As long as cleanliness is maintained and the walls are high enough, so what? Lesotho Funeral Services (even bigger Mortuary) Maseru e ntse e le pela the former Majistrates court, now Commercial court, there is nothing wrong with that. I have never heard civil servants complaining!
Comment by Manyala on 14 March 2013:
likoata tsa re tena bathong.
Comment by Lekhoakhoa on 14 March 2013:
The problem is that the community and the business have to work together, if they don’t I can smell trouble here, I see that the villagers are somehow called bigots, etc it is not right, maybe people still need to be convinced and educated about fear of the dead! What will happen if they do not use it, the business will go under obviously. I do not understand how anyone can compare work place being next to a mortuary and the mortuary being next to your home. Personally I do not think I could cope with seeing such sadness on daily basis passing my home, I would definitely move. I would like to know where the owners of the mortuary live, I bet they live far away from it.
Comment by 3rd Eye on 15 March 2013:
It’s called EIA report, (Environment Impact Assessment) please edit your articles before publishing them.
Comment by 3rd Eye on 15 March 2013:
It’s called EIA report, (Environmental Impact Assessment) please edit your articles before publishing them.
Comment by marantha on 15 March 2013:
re loanne sebothoane Leribe a le teng ena Mphaka le ass Minister of trade ha baa re etsetsa letho and ne re beha tletlebo tse legitimate, issue ea limmoshara hara metse ha e re etse sechaba se tsoetseng pele and even principles of physical planning ha li lumellane le such buisnes in the vicinity of homes empa he kea hlokomela hore koano hae ho itsebeletsoa nthoesele feela ke ha tali
Comment by thabatseka on 15 March 2013:
Khubetsoana people be realistic, every village will be glad to have a mortuary in the vicinity for convenience. Don’t you keep your corpses in other people’s villages? How do those people take it? Don’t be selfish.
Comment by Tabola on 15 March 2013:
“Khubetsoana people be
realistic, every village will be
glad to have a mortuary in the vicinity for convenience. Don’t you keep your corpses in other people’s villages? How do those people take it? Don’t be selfish.”
POWERFULL WORDS INDEED
Comment by Young on 15 March 2013:
@Lekhoakhoa…Bigot,..extremists…chauvinist…yes they are. One can’t deprive others services and development because of their superstitious beliefs.
Ho tsoana feela ha mohaisane a kare o seke oa kenya sliding door ha hao hobane khalase e kholo e tla tlisa letolo motseng?…would you do so or tell them to take a hike? ‘cmon Lekhoakhoa…be real.
Comment by Pinky on 15 March 2013:
@Young ska mpolaea hle ka sliding door. Ke lula pela moshara oa ha Sello ha Pita,ha ke so utlui batho ba teng ba lla.
Comment by mymothersaid on 15 March 2013:
It sounds like people are dying left right and centre, what is wrong with the mortuary in Town, why should it be in the village? How many mortuaries can a town need? If I lived there I would vote with my feet, not send my dead relatives there, what would happen?
This is what is called not in my backyard, we all will need services of a mortuary but we do not want it near our homes. I am afraid I do not think I would. I feel sorry for those people who would have to live near it, I wonder what traffic is going to be like, but then in Lesotho people do not get buried every weekend.
@ Young do you mean French windows, I did not think our people are that much behind times!
Comment by Ape on 16 March 2013:
Back to the stone age!
Comment by Lekhoakhoa on 17 March 2013:
The villagers say no consultation was done, I wonder how many people were consulted, just for democracy purposes. Some one says villagers do not matter but I beg to differ, if they do not support this business it will go bankrupt. Trouble is that Basotho funerals involve lots of cars driven in a convoy, surely this must make an impact on the road, I wonder how the residents are going to cope with all that traffic?
@Young you cannot call people names when yourself have just been corrected by mymothersaid with your sliding door issue? hahaha.
Comment by hama on 17 March 2013:
Tsoelopele ha se ho bolela hore litloaelo le meetlo ea batho e lokela ho hatakeloa.
Haeba re phela tlasa puso ea sechaba ka sechaba sello sa batho ba Khubetsoana se tlameha ho utluoa.Haholo batho ba ahisaneng le moshara.
Sechaba se senang meetlo sea timela,basotho ba heso.
Comment by Young on 18 March 2013:
@Mymothersaid…French windows…wow big words hey? You are one bright fella right there, and that’s a lesson for me right there. According to my knowledge, French windows are just about any kind of a window that has glass or transparent material. Ancient windows had now glasses – either just an open hole or full wooden door/cover.
The reason why you would agree and feel the need to defend these irrational and extremely superstitous people with some “clever but inaccurate” words such as “French windows” while every mosotho knows what a sliding door is, makes me to believe that you are also cut from the same cloth as these people. Don’t attack me…oppose my stance with reasoning sir/madam…
Comment by Young on 18 March 2013:
@Lekhoakhoa…Ignorance!!!!…the joke is on you buddy.
Comment by mymothersaid on 18 March 2013:
@Young, It seems to have taken you a few days to register! Anyway we will not lower ourselves to your standard.
Chao
Comment by Young on 18 March 2013:
This is the same area where there are pubs just about every corner (bo-F@#k Life). A lot of boys have died due to violence at some of these pubs. An area where you have a braaing spot next to the main road and often have to go through congested traffic because of cars that are parked there.
There is a bar/pub not so far from this funeral parlour where they play loud music even at night and no one has ever complained. Basotho re mona hape re rata ho emela lintho lisele fela. Shopo ha li le ngata ha kaale le libara moo Khubetsoana le batla tse ling hobaneng ebe le tebela business eo eleng eona feela moo motseng?..mxm
Comment by Young on 18 March 2013:
@Mymothersaid…I never initiated any attack at whoever commented here. I simply passed an opinion and you guys decided to attack my me. Since you are obviously a veteran here as you consider me new you could be right that I got low standards to comment on this webpage.Be that as it may, I still think you are not that bright to define any “Standard”.
Comment by Kau la poho on 18 March 2013:
Ache batho ba Morena Molimo haleka tlohela ho betsana ka majoe laka la bua ka taba tse hlahisitsoeng ke Lesotho times for the commands were not greated ho hobosana hleng Basotho………PEACE!!!