By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – Free State MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Ntombizanele Sifuba, has called on young people to reclaim their pride in speaking their mother tongue, warning that abandoning home languages is “killing our culture.”
Speaking on Monday at the official handover of equipment at the newly built Kgosatsana Manapo Mopeli Library in Namahadi, Sifuba said language is the anchor of identity and heritage.
“You must never be shy of your own language. Rather be proud of it,” Sifuba told a packed hall during the Nelson Mandela Month commemoration.
“Speaking Sesotho does not make you less wise or clever. Being fluent in English does not make you better than anyone else.”
She blamed colonialism and apartheid for conditioning black South Africans to believe that “white people’s languages are the only ones that matter.”
“When we fail to teach our children their mother tongue, we are helping to erase who we are,” she said.
*Library named to honour Royal legacy*
The new library, built near the Bakoena Royal House in partnership with African Rainbow Minerals, is named after Kgosatsana Manapo Mopeli.
Sifuba pledged provincial government support, saying the library was included in her 2026/2027 budget speech. “Today was just the first step. We are delivering on our promise,” she said.
Government will provide full-time staff, more resources, and WiFi at the facility.
His Majesty Motebang Mopeli, Principal Leader of the Bakoena Royal House, said the library forms part of the royal council’s five-year plan to prioritise education in QwaQwa.
“For years QwaQwa has been known as the hub of education. We continue that legacy*” said the King.
“I hope this library will change lives, especially for school children and those at higher institutions.”
Sifuba also urged the royal council to stock the library with history books on Basotho and the royal family to ensure future generations know their roots.
The province now has 187 libraries, with several built through private sector partnerships.The MEC concluded: “A nation that forgets its language, forgets itself.”
