News

Cooking up a culinary delight

Published

1 year ago

October 10, 2023

She is a trained electrical engineer who dumped the electrical cables for the kitchen.
And she is loving every minute of it.
Now a successful businesswoman, Matšeliso Mokuoane, the CEO and founder of Rhythm and Blues Catering, says she has always loved cooking.

Growing up in Khanyane, Leribe, with her twin sister, she would volunteer to cook for the family rather than do the dishes and other household chores.
What made her passion for cooking thrive was that she was surrounded by people who were also passionate about cooking.

“My grandmother was a community social trainer on cooking while my mother was a home economics teacher,” she says.

Mokuoane, who has now been in the industry for over 25 years, says her work in the kitchen kept improving.
She says she would sometimes be called during family and friends’ gatherings to cook.

The turning point for her came during a routine church meeting at St John’s Apostolic Church in Lekokoaneng over two decades ago.
As she was attending church with friends, they realised the challenge they had in getting breakfast during the prayer meetings.
The St John’s Apostolic Church in Lekokoaneng has for decades been known for bringing pilgrims from across southern Africa for special worship.

“I saw a business opportunity,” Mokuoane says.

Mokuoane says the three came together and hired a simple shelter to sell food.
She says they further realised that most of the shelters only provided breakfast, not bathes.

“We then divided our small shelter into a kitchen and bathroom with a curtain,” she says.
It was a rudimentary structure from whose idea came the beautiful guest house that she now operates.
Besides operating the Rhythm and Blues Catering business, Mokuoane also runs Mahlakapese Holdings, which encompasses a 22-room guest house and the Mahlakapese River Resort.

The Rhythm and Blues Catering Company is one of the top catering companies in Lesotho that is often asked to serve VIPs during special occasions.
But her entry into business was not an easy ride. She had to overcome numerous challenges along the way.

Even when she was working full-time, she would often venture into business cooking food for sale. That’s what happened when she was working for a large parastatal in Mokhotlong.
She would go home tired after work, with no energy to prepare a healthy meal for herself and her family.

“I then thought, surely, there are people who are frustrated just like me,” she says.

Mokuoane then hired a shelter to sell food in her free time.
She says she then hired one woman to run the business since she was too busy.

“The lady took all my money, and I had to close the business,” she says.
“However, my passion kept me going,” she says.

Mokuoane says she then found a bigger place out of town.

“I was the first tenant of the Basotho Enterprise Development Corporation (BEDCO) building there,” she says.
Although the place was way out of town, people would still come to buy her food.

“Most people liked my food, and I knew they would come,” she says.

While she was working, she got a catering licence.
Mokuoane says she knew this was just the beginning of great things for her.
During one event, she says ministers in the district were so impressed with her work.

“From that time on, I started getting VIP jobs,” she says.

She says she has always tried hard to be close to her role models so that she can learn from them.
She even asked to collaborate with some of her role models on certain projects. She says she knew that she was investing in her learning journey.

Mokuoane says she worked under the arms of giant entrepreneurs without expecting any financial gains. All she wanted was to learn vital lessons from business.
Mokuoane says she also worked with one of her cousins in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

“In 2004, when South Africa hosted the 10-year Mandela celebrations in Senekal, I was her chef,” she says.

“My ultimate goal was to build my business profile and was not so keen about the money,” she says.
She says budding entrepreneurs should stop prioritising money on their learning curve.

Mokuoane says when giants in the industry realised her ambition, they began to fight her.

“I took a decision to work even harder,” she says.

The result is that she is now recognised as one of the best caterers in Lesotho. She has often engaged other entrepreneurs in Maseru to exchange skills.
Mokuoane says at one point she moved from pillar to post seeking a loan to build a guest house.

“I did not want to see the word investor. I thought they gave money freely,” she says.
“I then expanded my six-room guest house to 22 rooms,” she says.

In 2007, Mokuoane founded the Circle of Global Women Forum in Lesotho, a non-governmental organisation to promote women in business.
She says the idea was to support women in business.
Mokuoane is also the founder of the Women in Tourism Association of Lesotho.

She is also a member of the Northern Tourism Forum.
As part of her learning journey, she attended several business forums such as the Hotel and Hospitality Business Forum between South Africa and Dubai, Hospitality in Ghana, and Dubai Expo 2020.

Refiloe Mpobole

News

Knives out for Molelle

Published

3 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

KNORX Molelle’s appointment as the Director General of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) in February 2023 could have been illegal.

The Law Society of Lesotho has told Prime Minister Sam Matekane that Molelle was appointed without being admitted as a legal practitioner in Lesotho, as required by law.

The society claims the information came from a whistleblower on January 2 and was corroborated by its roll of legal practitioners in Lesotho.

The society says the appointment violates section 4 of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act 1999 which states that a person shall not be appointed as the DCEO director general unless they have been admitted as a legal practitioner in terms of the Legal Practitioners Act.

In the letter, Advocate Ithabeleng Phamotse, the society’s secretary, tells Matekane that this requirement “is not a mere procedural formality but a substantive qualification essential to the lawful appointment of the Director General”.

“The absence of such qualification fatally impairs the appointment ab initio, rendering it null and void from the outset,” Advocate Phamotse says in the letter written on Tuesday.

The society argues that if left unaddressed the illegality undermines the credibility, effectiveness and legality of the DCEO’s operations and exposes the kingdom to serious risks, including challenges to the lawfulness of decisions and actions made by Molelle.

“Should it be confirmed that the appointment was made in contravention of the mandatory legal requirements,” Advocate Phamotse said, “we respectfully urge you to take immediate corrective action to rectify this glaring irregularity”.

Advocate Phamotse tells the prime minister that if the appointment is not corrected, the society would be “left with no alternative but to institute legal proceedings to protect the interests of justice and uphold the rule of law in Lesotho”.

“We trust that you will accord this matter your highest priority and act decisively to avert further damage to the integrity of our governance structures.”

The Prime Minister’s spokesman, Thapelo Mabote, said they received the letter but Matekane had not yet read it yesterday.

Matekane is on leave and is expected back in the office on January 14.

Questions over the validity of his appointment come as Molelle is being haunted by the damaging audio clips that were leaked last week.

The clips were clandestinely recorded by Basotho National Party leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe.

In some of the clips, Molelle appears to be describing Matekane and his deputy Justice Nthomeng Majara as idiots. He also appears to be calling Law Minister Richard Ramoeletsi a devil.

In other clips, he seems to be discussing cases. thepost has not independently verified the authenticity of the audio clips.

Staff Reporter

News

Massive salary hike for chiefs

Published

3 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

THE government has increased the salaries for traditional leaders by a massive 88.5 percent.

This means that a village chief not appointed by a gazette will now earn M3 001 a month, up from the previous salary of M1 592. That means village chiefs will now earn an extra M1 409 per month.

A village chief, or headman, appointed by a gazette has moved from M1 966 to M3 567 per month.

Above a village chief is one with jurisdiction over a small cluster of villages, a category three chief, who now moves from M3 768 to M5 181 per month.

A category four chief, known as ward chief, has moved from M4 455 per month to M7 993.

The category five chief, who reports directly to a principal chief, will now earn M10 674, up from M9 939 per month.

There is no increment for principal chiefs.

The government says the budget for chiefs’ salaries has moved from M129.4 million to M208.3 million annually.

The hike follows a series of discussions between the Lesotho Workers Association, representing the chiefs, and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship.

The revised salaries will be implemented with effect from April 1, 2025.

According to the settlement agreement, a discussion about raising the lowest salary of M6 000 for the lowest-ranking chiefs will be revisited in October 2025.

Chiefs who spoke to thepost have expressed satisfaction with the hike, saying it will significantly improve their lives.

Chief Mopeli Matsoso of Ha-Tikoe in Maseru said his previous salary of M1 500 per month would now be doubled, which would improve his life and help provide smoother services to the community.

He stressed that they used to close the offices while going out looking for jobs to compensate for their little salaries.

“Now the people will get smoother services,” Chief Matsoso said.

“The offices will forever be open,” he said.

Chief Matsoso said the salary hike will also serve as a motivation for other chiefs.

Chief Tumo Majara of Liboping, Mokhethoaneng, also expressed his gratitude.

Chief Majara acknowledge the positive impact the salary review would have, especially as a new officeholder.

“I guess we are all happy, that review will help a lot,” he said.

The Principal Chief of Thaba-Bosiu, Khoabane Theko, said the salary increase of chief is a welcome move by the government.

“I’m yet to study how the new salary structure looks like. But I welcome it as a good move by the government,”Chief Theko said.

Nkheli Liphoto

News

Maqelepo says suspension deeply flawed

Published

3 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

Motlatsi Maqelepo, the embattled Basotho Action Party (BAP) deputy leader and Tello Kibane, who was the party chairman, have rejected their suspension from the party arguing it was legally flawed.

The BAP’s central executive committee on Tuesday suspended Maqelepo for seven years and Kibane for five years. The suspensions became effective on the same day.

The party’s disciplinary committee which met last Wednesday had recommended an expulsion for the two but that decision was rejected with the committee pushing for a lengthy suspension.

Maqelepo’s suspension will end on January 7, 2032 while Kibane’s will run until January 7, 2030.

Their suspension letters from the BAP deputy secretary general Victoria Qheku, say they should not participate in any of the party’s activities.

“In effect, you are relieved of your responsibility as a CEC member and BAP deputy leader,” Maqelepo was told in the letter.

“You were found guilty by default on all charges and the committee recommended your immediate dismissal from the party,” the letter reads.

On Kibane, the verdict states that the committee decided to mitigate the recommended sanction by reducing his suspension to five years.

“In the gravity of the charges, the suspension affects your membership in the BAP parliamentary caucus from which you are removed as a chairman.”

They were suspended in absentia after they refused to attend the disciplinary hearing, which they said was illegal.

In response to the suspension, Maqelepo wrote a letter addressing the BAP members in general, defying the committee’s decision to suspend them.

He has called for a special conference, appealing to party constituencies to push for it, citing the ongoing internal fight that includes the leadership’s decision to withdraw the BAP from the coalition government.

Maqelepo also said the central executive committee is illegally in a campaign to dissolve committees in the constituencies and replace them with stooges.

He reminded the members that there is a court case pending in the High Court seeking an interdiction to charge them in the party’s structures without approval of the special conference that he is calling.

He said the party leadership should have awaited the outcome of the case before proceeding with any disciplinary action.

“The party that is led by a professor of law continues to do dismissals despite the issue being taken to the courts,” Maqelepo said.

The party leader, Professor Nqosa Mahao, is a distinguished professor of law.

Maqelepo said they would write the central executive committee rejecting its decision to suspend them, saying they will continue taking part in party activities.

He said their fate in the party is in the hands of the special conference.

He appealed to all the party constituencies to continue writing letters demanding the special conference.

Both Maqelepo and Kibane received letters on November 28 last year inviting them to show cause why they should not be suspended pending their hearing.

They both responded on the following day refusing to attend.

Maqelepo, Kibane, Hilda Van Rooyen, and ’Mamoipone Senauoane are accused of supporting a move to remove Professor Mahao from his ministerial position last year.

They were part of the BAP members who asked Prime Minister Sam Matekane to fire Professor Mahao, who at the same time was pushing for the reshuffling of Tankiso Phapano, the principal secretary for the Ministry of Energy.

When Matekane ignored Professor Mahao’s demands, the latter withdrew the BAP from the coalition government much to the fierce resistance of the party’s four MPs.

Maqelepo started touting members from constituencies to call for a special conference to reverse Professor Mahao and the central executive committee’s decision.

The central executive committee issued a circular stopping Maqelepo’s rallies but he continued, with the support of the other MPs.

In the BAP caucus of six MPs, it is only Professor Mahao and ’Manyaneso Taole who are supporting the withdrawal from the government.

Nkheli Liphoto