Open letter to my MP: Moeketsi Motšoane
Compliments of the New Year! I trust your Christmas was filled with joy, food, and maybe a few too many desserts (if that’s your thing).
Now, I am sure you don’t know me, so let me introduce myself.
My name is Kananelo Boloetse, born and raised at Ha Ramasabata in Mafeteng. But before you start wondering where that is, let me clarify: Ramasabata isn’t the name of a herd boy or a famous tourist spot – though it certainly should be – but it’s where my roots run deep.
Over time, the name has been overshadowed, and our beloved village is now considered part of Matšaneng, a much newer settlement wedged between Phahameng and Ha Motlere.
But let’s not digress too much – Ramasabata is the father of Boloetse, our great-grandfather, and to my family and me, that name holds a great deal of pride.
We proudly correct anyone who dares call us “Matšaneng residents,” because, to us, Ramasabata represents a part of our identity and during the holidays, we had a thought: why not reclaim the land, restore our legacy, and appoint our own chief?
But that’s a conversation for another time.
Now, on to the serious business! I arrived in Mafeteng on December 23, 2024, and guess what? It was the first time in forever that I got to see the town at night.
Normally, I don’t venture out in the dark when I’m home, because let’s face it, Mafeteng has a reputation for violence linked to Famo music groups, especially around the holidays. And you know what happens when Makhomosha (those brave souls working in South Africa’s illegal mines) come back to town – they bring their “holiday cheer,” if you catch my drift.
But on December 23, I had no choice but to arrive late from Maseru. And boy, was I in for a surprise! Unlike Maseru, where streetlights were recently fixed and shining brightly like they’re on some kind of world tour, Mafeteng was pitch black—no streetlights working, not even one!
The town was as dark as a black panther’s coat, a stark contrast to the early 2000s when Mafeteng was practically lit up like a Christmas tree. Back then, we’d hang out at St John’s High School after school, feeling safe with those lights guiding us all the way home in the evening.
On the 23rd, though, people moved around like it was broad daylight. You know how they say, “When you’ve been in the dark for so long, you get used to it.” But when someone from the “land of lights” (that’s Maseru, in case you’re wondering) shows up, they can’t help but notice the vast difference.
As someone who knows what it feels like to live with proper lighting, the contrast was impossible to ignore.
So, I’m here to say: for the love of all things bright and shiny, can we PLEASE get those streetlights working again?
It is simply unacceptable that a town of this size and importance, such as Mafeteng, could remain in darkness. This affects not just the residents but also local businesses and street vendors who are unable to operate efficiently. Street vendors in Mafeteng have significantly fewer hours to make a living than their counterparts in Maseru, all due to the lack of proper lighting.
They can’t open their stalls early in the morning because it’s too dark, and they have to pack up and leave by evening before they find themselves surrounded by nothing but darkness. A street vendor in Maseru has WAY more daylight hours to make a living than someone trying to hustle in Mafeteng, and this disparity must be addressed.
Now, let’s move to the next pressing issue. The once-beautiful gravel roads in Matšaneng, Phahameng, and Ha Motlere were decent back in the day. But fast forward to 2005 or 2006 when the Ministry of Local Government came in, promising to turn them into tarred roads. And they did turn some of the gravel roads into tarred roads!
But we got only one tarred road that connected Phahameng, Matšaneng, Ha Motlere, and even Matlapaneng, leading up to the Main Traffic Cycle. Most of the gravel roads remained as they were.
But guess what happened after that? The gravel roads started disappearing –thanks to some heavy rains and, I suspect, a lack of care. Now, they’re just mud paths that look like something you’d expect to see in a nature documentary about struggling villages.
Some rental rooms (we call them malaene) in Matšaneng are now empty because people refuse to live in a place without decent roads. Imagine the loss of income for these landlords, some of whom are watching their properties crumble before their eyes.
The last time any roadwork took place in these villages was about 20 years ago!
As if that wasn’t bad enough, let’s talk about water.
I spent two weeks at home, and in that time, the only time I saw water coming out of our taps was twice. When I asked why, I was told that Skanska Dam, the main water supplier for Mafeteng, had dried up, and water was now being rationed.
What shocked me even more was the complete lack of a schedule. People didn’t even know when they’d get water. They’d check their taps every now and then, hoping for the best. And if you went to town for a while, you’d come back only to find that the water came and gone again while you were away, leaving you to borrow from your neighbours who had managed to fill up their big drums.
My friend, Advocate Fusi Sehapi, took the matter into his own hands and wrote to the relevant authorities on behalf of the people. SECTION 2, the human rights organisation, also issued a statement in support of the residents.
Thankfully, this crisis gained some attention, and WASCO (the Water and Sewage Authority) finally acknowledged the situation. But here’s the thing, MP – where are you?
The silence from you, my dear MP, is deafening. It’s concerning, and honestly, I’m beginning to wonder if you’ve been abducted by aliens. Where are you?
We need your voice, especially when things are getting this bad. You don’t have to fix the roads or the lights yourself, but we need you to make noise! Let the powers that be know that Mafeteng deserves better!
To be fair, I know you’re not the one in charge of deciding which roads get fixed or which lights get turned on. But come on, we need someone to speak up for the people of Mafeteng.
If someone mentioned your name, Moeketsi Motšoane, I’m sorry to say, I would have to do a double-take and think real hard about who that is. I might even ask, “Wait, is that the doctor we met at the Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital last week?” You’re that invisible, my MP. Your name has become almost synonymous with inaction, and it has left the residents of Mafeteng feeling abandoned.
So here’s our request: Do us all a favour. Make some noise. Shout from the rooftops (figuratively, not literally, because you know, we don’t want to give the wrong impression). Let’s get those streetlights fixed, those gravel roads within our villages upgraded to tarred road or repaired, and the water flowing reliably.
Don’t let Mafeteng be a town stuck in the darkness – literally and figuratively. We need you, MP. The people of Mafeteng need you!
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