Seven years ago when the Morija Arts and Cultural Festival was started, its founders’ aims were to help Basotho to take pride in their culture, engender a spirit of oneness amongst them as all its themes have shown, challenging society to forget religious and other differences and build a united nation.

Even this year’s theme, “the family, cornerstone of a strong nation” , is a continuation of the call for Basotho to come together to find solutions to their problems. 

Queen 'MaSenate was welcomed to the Festival by a delegation of young children dressed in seshoeshoe, nurses' and military uniform. There was also a troupe from the Mmabana Cultural Centre in Thaba Nchu, South Africa and the well known Letlapeng ndlamo group.

This was the message, Patron of the Festival, Queen ‘MaSenate Mohato Bereng Seeiso, gave to thousands of people who gathered in Morija over the four days of the Festival. 

The Queen said in Sesotho culture, the family does not only mean the father, mother and offspring nor even uncles and aunts, but also other people such as in-laws without whose presence major decisions cannot be taken. 

“It is within these kinds of units that an individual can get all the love, kindness and a feeling of being wanted that eventually turns one into a strong person, able to contribute positively to society. We need to show a unity of purpose from the family level, through to community to become one nation,” she said. 

In such societies, though individually owned livestock, fields and children are the responsibility of a community and are thus safe. The saying, “Matlo ho cha a mabapi” (It is the houses of neighbours that will most certainly burn in a fire), is a lesson for people to cooperate and work together, the Queen said. 

She appealed to Basotho to use the opportunity of the Festival to revive that cooperative spirit within families, communities and the nation at large.

   Minister of Culture, Ms. Lebohang Ntšinyi can also do the mokhibo very well !

03 September 2005