A MAN OF THE PEOPLE LAID TO REST
His
Majesty King Letsie III has commended the late Minister Mofelehetsi Salemone
Moerane (MP) (pictured left) as a real "man of the people" who dedicated his
life to the struggle for freedom as well as seeing to the well being of
others.
The King was giving an oration at the official funeral of the late Minister at the Mokema, in the Koro-Koro constituency, on Friday.
The King reiterated the Mokema community's cry that the Prime Minister should work hard to curb problem of high levels of stock theft in the area while at the same time calling on the respective community that whoever will be elected to replace Mr. Moerane, should be have the same virtues and dedication.
Speaking at the same ceremony, the Right Honourable Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili said, Mr. Moerane "was a very brave and unselfish person even in sickness as he would not allow himself to recuperate at home but would do so at work as he felt he owed his life to his community".
On behalf of the leaders of opposition parties, Mr. Anthony Manyeli likened the late Moerane to King Solomon of the bible who was wise adding that the people of Koro-Koro voted for him upon noticing his perceptive behaviour.
Other speakers who gave words of condolence were the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Ntlhoi Motsamai, the trade minister, Mr. Mpho Malie and an in-law, who all commended the deceased on his selflessness by sparing fifty years of his life gallantly fighting for freedom and democracy. Fifteen years having been spent within prisons.
The burial was finished with a three-gun salute at the cemetery to acknowledge the high office he occupied during his life. He had also been appointed the Minister in the Prime Minister's Office following the 1998 elections up to July 1999 when he was appointed Minister of Public Works and Transport.
Mr. Moerane died of prostrate cancer which manifested itself in 1998 and had now spread to the bones. The sickness that had aggravated late last year led warranted radio-therapy to remove the cancerous cells from his lower spine. The last days saw his loss of concentration and mental capacity failing due to the malignant cancerous cells in the brain. He passed away on 28 September, 2004 at the New Kensington Clinic in South Africa.
Mr. Moerane is the eighth (8th) member of the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and the ninth (9th) Member of the sixth Parliament who has passed away since the Parliamentary elections in 2002.
08 September 2004