By Emily Setona
QWAQWA– Speakers who gathered at the University of Free State to celebrate the Basotho bicentenary lamented the apparent loss of Basotho heritage and culture, and pleaded for its revival and regeneration.
To celebrate 200 years of the Basotho nation, the revival torch (known as serumula) arrived in Qwaqwa and was lit by Morena e Moholo Moremoholo Mopeli of the Bakoena Royal Household with the issues surrounding unity, peace and stability within the Basotho nation in and out of the country being the greatest desires and priority to keeping the nation together.
“We are grateful for this opportunity that we have been given by King Letsie III, for bringing this rival torch to Qwaqwa. This rival torch is a symbol of remembrance so that we as the Basotho nation can remember who we are and what Morena Moshoeshoe I had to go through for us to be here today.
“We must educate our people and our children about our history, today we celebrate 200 years of the Basotho nation, we look back to the time when Morena Moshoeshoe I was given wisdom by God to build and lead this nation, like when God chose Moses to lead his people out of Egypt,” Mopeli said while addressing the crowd.
The chief executive officer of Project-RE, Solly Mofoka, represented of King Letsie III of Lesotho, and addressed the audience.
“This celebration of the Basotho bicentenary in 2024 coincides with 30 years of freedom for South Africa, it is during this time that we as the Basotho nation turn a new page and pledge to walk together side by side as Basotho nation of both Lesotho and South Africa.
Delegates from South Africa and Lesotho at UFS during the Serumula Basotho bicentenary celebration.
“This revival torch is crafted with recycled wire because we as the Basotho nation need to be rewired, we need to relook at ourselves. The torch is shaped like a rhino horn as a symbol of strength because once we were a great nation and we need to remember ourselves.”
For her part the Free State MEC of the Department of Sports Arts Culture and Recreation (DSACR) Ntombizanele Sifuba said:
“As we come to this milestone event, as the government of the Free State we acknowledge that as Lesotho is celebrating 200 years of the establishment of the Basotho nation South Africa celebrates 30 years of its democracy and freedom. It is very important for us as South Africa to always strengthen the relations between these two countries especially this province of the Free State, because Lesotho is a stone’s throw away from the Free State therefore, we are one people and one nation. As we celebrate the bicentenary of the Basotho nation, it is indeed a privilege and an honour to extend our well wishes to the Basotho nation and to be part of this celebration.”
