By Emily Setona
QWAQWA – Morena e Moholo Montoeli Mota Wa Batlokoa, and members of his royal household welcomed deputy president Paul Mashatile with open arms and assured him that Tsheseng is his home and he is welcome at any time.
During the deputy president’s visit to the community of Maluti-A- Phofung (MAP) on March 22, 2024, Mashatile stopped over at the Batlokoa royal house to pay a courtesy call.
Mota said it is rare for leadership at the level of deputy president to come to visit them, and he is very grateful for this gesture and recognition.
“We are happy that the deputy president decided to grace us with his presence because it is seldom that leaders of your calibre come to pay us a visit; we feel very proud. We work well with the Free State government as you can see, they are here with you today; we don’t only share our problems with them, but we also provide solutions. Deputy president, we welcome you with open arms, so feel free – this is your home and I hope that next time you are here, you can pay us a visit again,” Mota said.
Accompanying Mashatile Free State premier Mxolisi Dukwana, MEC of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Teboho Mokoena and the director general Kopung Ralikontsane.
“I am very happy to hear that our government and the royal households in this province are working well together, it is indeed a wonderful thing to see. The support that the province is giving our kings is a great thing because, among the duties and responsibilities that the president gave me, he mandated me to work with all the traditional leaders in the country.
From left, premier Mxolisi Dukwana, Queen Mofumahali Mota, deputy president Paul Mashatile and principal chief Morena e Moholo Montoeli Mota.
“As I have been travelling across the country to various provinces, it has given me the opportunity to find out how traditional leaders live, and the pertinent issues that the government can assist them with. I am happy that the Free State province, through the department of MEC Mokoena are taking the lead by working with and assisting traditional leaders.”
For his part, Dukwana said: “I would like to thank Morena e Moholo Montoeli Mota for being patient and supportive with the provincial government throughout this difficult journey of bringing service delivery to our people. As the deputy president can see the road that leads to this place is not in a good condition. We work well with our traditional leadership and what they need more than anything is serious support from the government because they work directly with the community, and we want to make sure that we build them befitting palaces and give them resources to do their work more efficiently. We hope that the next time you visit deputy president, you can enjoy the hospitality oft a palace fit for our kings.”
