By T. S. Mothibi

The steady flight of an eagle across the sky is a sight to marvel, and the acrobatic flight of the swallow before the rain is one that leaves the watcher amazed at the dexterity of the wing on the air currents invisible to the human eye, but which are felt with each inhale and exhale, or, with the touch of the breezes of the season on the skin.

One can safely guess that man has always wanted to fly as the big birds of the sky do, but lacking in wing and structure, man has had to come up with ingenious ways to aid him to sail the currents and the waves of the air in the sky. From the ancient historical mythologies such as that of Daedalus and Icarus, to the engineering masterpiece designs of the helicopter and other flight machines by Leonardo Da Vinci in the middle ages, to the hot-air balloons invented by Jacque and Josef Montgolfier floating over the skies of Paris in the late 1700’s, and the first flight of the first fixed-wing plane by Frank and Orville Wright in the early 1900’s, humanity’s progress has been by gauged by advancements in technology in relation to taming the elements to adapt them for usage in day-to-day activities.

Earth was the first when man settled and cultivated it for his food, fire became the second when man found it as a tool for cooking his meals and defending him against the predators, and with the human body’s adaptation to swimming and the invention of the boat and the ship, man felt he had indeed come to rule the elements. This victory was however not complete, because man could still not fly like the birds of the sky, but the air was not just to be so easily conquered; for one must first have wings to fly, and man is naturally born without wings. And so man made wings of his own and flew into the future.

It must be understood that the black race and other races have for the larger part of history been segregated to menial roles on the sidelines of progress despite their tremendous contribution in the form of labour and largely unacknowledged innovative techniques in the invention and improvement of technological advancements. History soon seems to forget them and their contributions while their fair-skinned peers enjoy glories that last seventy lifetimes.

An example can be made of the Tuskegee Airmen who saved countless lives in the Second World War whose stories cannot be found on the curricula and syllabi in any African state. That these young brave black men and ace pilots put their lives on the line for the peace of the world is a fact ‘education’ chooses to ignore for, instead of telling African children true tales about black people who made tremendous contributions in the form of innovation and laborious presence on projects meant to advance human civilisation, our educational systems are limited only to the advancement of the superiority complexes of only certain races whose minority on the African continent renders them super-humans if one is to compare the achievements they are said to have achieved on their own.

When the Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969, only the names of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and the others are mentioned. Of the crew at the space centre, none are named. This is the pattern of historical account, only the names at the fore of the ideology are mentioned. Those who toiled in the background are simply forgotten. So, when I chanced upon the tale of the black girl who flew into space and orbited the earth, I found it right to make mention of this brave black woman whose story soon reveals to the sceptic that women are as capable of seemingly impossible feats as men are.

The brief biography on www.wikipedia.org reveals that Mae Carol Jemison was born on October the 17^th in 1956. She is an American physician and NASA astronaut who became the first African-American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992. After her medical education and a brief general practice, Jemison served in the Peace Corps from 1985 to 1987, when she was selected by NASA to join the astronaut corps.

She then resigned from NASA in 1993 to form a company researching the application of technology to daily life (note her level of practicality). She has appeared on television several times, including as an actress in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation which remains one of the most popular sci-fi shows that has lately seen the release of a number of cinema adaptations. She is a dancer, and holds nine honorary doctorates in science, engineering, letters, and the humanities, and is the current principal of the 100 Year Starship Organization.

Mae Jemison is a woman whose occupations and interests are as diverse as those of a master who is always in constant search of some new territory of the human mind to explore; for the human being can achieve greatness only if they forget the limitations set upon them by other or fellow human beings. One of her famous quotes reveals her resolute character and stubborn will to achieve inspite of or despite prevailing circumstances. In her words she says:

Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.

The imagination of one is ignited by one being exposed to new territories in thought and education, being shown that there is another world out there full of possibilities, and at this, the education offered has a huge role to play. That a boy herding cattle in some obscure village in the hinterlands of some forgotten part of our land believes that the world is as wide as the mountains his village lies nestled in, is not a full or true representation the full breadth of his potential; he is just limited in scope by the routine he is forced to follow.

Exposed to other activities and limitless possibilities as found in books of education, the herdboy would surprise anyone that believes his capabilities were only limited to tending to his father’s flocks. The little black girl that grew up in the 1960’s knew that she would one day go into space and, in her own words she solemnly states:

I grew up loving science and always knew that I would go into space someday, despite the barriers I faced as an African-American woman.

Doctor Jemison boldly states that the images she saw on television (aboard Star-Trek’s USS Enterprise) are what fired up her imagination and saw her end up as part of the Endeavour’s crew in 1992. It is a fact that images oftentimes show us possibilities we never thought existed; they open up a secret door in the mind of man that leads to innovation, creation and application of what is imagined. A lot of times, fantasy is what gets us through to reality, for what is fantasised is the makeup of what we dream about, what guides our vision.

That a girl from a race considered the underclass of the world could have ended up where she did is not an accident; she chose the freedom to dream and to follow up on her dreams. Many of us dream to achieve big but then, many of us fail dismally when it comes to following the pattern that leads to the achievement of the dream, and so the dreams die without ever seeing the light of day. The dream which you seek to achieve should be the daily mantra repeated as in a class where the learner attains knowledge by rote.

Repeating the dream’s pattern on a daily leads to one achieving their dream inspite of, or, despite prevailing circumstance, for, what is perceived as an impediment oftentimes turns out to be the whetstone on which the finer details of the dream can be sharpened to precision. When the spaceship Apollo 11 blasted off to the moon from Kennedy Space Centre in 1969, Mae must have been there with the crew in her mind and would go on to repeat the same feat a mere 23 years later. She imagined, and she achieved and can now boldly state veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered). I guess our girls should have the same kind of imagination.

It is said that early in her childhood, Mae Jemison understood the connection of everyday life to science by studying nature, and that once when a splinter infected her thumb, her mother, a public school teacher, turned it into a learning experience: she ended up doing a whole project about pus. Despite the fact that Doctor Jemison’s parents were very supportive of her interest in science, some of her teachers were not very supportive. She states:

“In kindergarten, my teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I told her a scientist. She said, ‘Don’t you mean a nurse?’ Now, there’s nothing wrong with being a nurse, but that’s not what I wanted to be.”

That her teachers were not supportive of her dreams did not deter her from achieving her dream, but the sad reality is that most or many African children end in unsavoury careers because their teachers fail to guide them in the right direction. Only subjects popular in a given era are encouraged and supported by the educational bodies, and despite their being hard to achieve or not in the interest of the pupils, they are fed into the minds of the children as the catechism is fed to the pious.

Everyone should have the freedom to follow the career they dreamt of as children; otherwise they will end up sour incompetent and ineffective workers in their careers. Do what you love, do it with a passion and this black woman’s tale will be a reality to you in your given pursuit for happiness.

In an interview with a popular online magazine, Mae C. Jemison explains how her deeply ingrained interest in science was not accepted.

“Growing up…I was just like every other kid. I loved space, stars and dinosaurs. I always knew I wanted to explore. At the time of the Apollo airing, everybody was thrilled about space, but I remember being irritated that there were no women astronauts. People tried to explain that to me, and I did not buy it.”

Limitation only affects those that agree to be limited, an eagle that believes it is a chicken will indeed believe that it is a rooster and will never take to flight. What the lifestory of Doctor Mae Jemison reveals is the simple fact that we choose to be limited by the imposed opinions of others on our dreams, and we forget the natural fact that every individual is born with a dream or gift unique as their fingerprint and their individuality. That the universe is said to be wide as it is, is a sure sign that the possibilities that exist therein are as endless as the stars found within its confines (if it is confined that is…which I personally do not believe in).

That Mae Jemison sailed to the moon (into space) is a testament that we can achieve whatever it is we want to set our minds upon: for possibility exists forever and impossibility is soon proven a molehill to those that believe that mountains can be transformed into hills if one just believes in their dream. Doctor Jemison says she was inspired by the quintessential Civil Rights activist Reverend Martin Luther King Jnr. To her, Reverend Luther King Jr’s dream was not an elusive fantasy but a call to action, for, she states that though people paint him like Santa, her view of Martin Luther King is one that reveals him as an individual who had a strong attitude, audacity, and bravery. The Civil Rights movement was all about breaking down the barriers to human potential. None of us should therefore let those dream-killers stand in the way of the achievement of our dreams and, in her own words:

The best way to make dreams come true is to wake up.

Only then can we fly to the moon and into space where possibilities to succeed are endless.

Opinions

How dry spells cripple hydropower generation

Published

2 months ago

November 26, 2024

The Post

This story was supported by the Pulitzer Centre

PERSISTENT and severe droughts have drastically curtailed Lesotho’s capacity to produce its own hydropower, shoving the country into a perennial power crisis.

The droughts have reduced the water levels at Katse Dam, Africa’s second-largest dam, which powers the turbines at Muela Power Station.

Mohale Dam, which feeds Katse Dam, has also experienced extended periods of low water levels.
The results are severe: lack of drinking water and reduced hydropower generation capacity.
Lesotho is thus struggling to meet its energy needs and the 1986 Treaty’s obligations to supply water to South Africa.

The Drought Dilemma: Water levels and power generation

Data from the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA), which oversees the Lesotho Water Highlands Project (LWHP) and the country’s hydropower operations, indicates a steady decline in water levels at the Katse and Mohale dams over the decade from 2014 to 2023.
Over this period, water levels in these two dams averaged 60 percent, with the lowest levels recorded in 2019.

Data shows that the Katse Dam declined significantly, reaching only a third of its capacity, while in October 2020, the Mohale Dam fell to its lowest level of 11 percent.

These low water levels have impacted electricity generation at the ‘Muela Hydropower Station in Butha Buthe district, which operates three generators to produce 72 megawatts a day.

But, when water levels in the two major dams feeding the power station are low, the reduced pressure on the turbines results in lower power output.

The consequences are clear: energy production fell dramatically over the decade between 2014 and 2023 and although there was a slight increase in production in 2021, hydroelectricity production in Lesotho has not returned to its peak in 2015 when 532 190 megawatt-hours were generated.

“The worst drought was in 2019 where we were unable to meet the water delivery target and power generation targets as well. During the other drought periods, the LHDA (Lesotho Highlands Development Authority)was able to meet the targets,” said the LHDA Public Relations Manager, Mpho Brown.

The battle for power: imports and shortages

The ‘Muela plant is the main source of power in Lesotho, but it is not the only one.

A 30-MW solar farm, in Mafeteng and funded by China, also adds to the grid.

However, its contribution is not only limited to the fact that it only produces power during the day but is unable to store electricity generated.

The reality for Lesotho is that, even if the ‘Muela plant produces all 72 MW that it is capable of each day and if the solar plant adds another 30 MW to that, this 102 MW produced each day is still way short of the 160 MW the country needs each day.

Lesotho plugs this gap by buying the remaining around 58 MW from South Africa and Mozambique at a much higher cost than its own produced power.

The ‘Muela plant has shut down for six months, from October 2024 to March 2025, so that maintenance on transfer and delivery tunnels can be done.

This means no water is being transferred to South Africa during this period and no electricity is produced at ‘Muela and Lesotho relies on 100 percent imported electricity at night.

A delicate balance – power generation and water levels

‘Muela plant depends on water from the Katse and Mohale dams, both constructed under phases 1A and 1B of the LWHP.

The dams are connected by two-way transfer of water and Katse dam feeds the power plant through a 45-kilometre-long tunnel.

Water levels affect the amount of power the plant can generate.

When the water levels are high, the plant can exceed its nominal rating of 72 MW.

Each of the three generators can generate up to 30 MW, making a total of 90 MW possible. But, when the levels drop, it can’t produce as much.

In extreme cases the turbines are forced to work harder to maintain output, quickly depleting the remaining water in the dams.

According to Brown, Katse Dam levels started dropping in 2015, as a result, hydropower production reduced because the head was decreasing.

This is corroborated by analysis of the dataset supplied by the LHDA on Katse Dam and Mohale Dam levels from January 2014 to December last year.

At Mohale Dam, water levels have been low for a prolonged period, according to the statistics.

Data further shows that half the time between January 2014 and December 2023, water levels have been below 51%.

On average, water levels stood at 43 percent over a 10-year-period and most of the time, the water levels could not exceed half but improved only in 2021 and peaked in 2022.

Similarly, the same picture was painted by Katse Dam.

Between 2014 and 2023, Katse Dam water level was unstable but started declining significantly from 2015 to late 2019, signalling a protracted drought period.

Data shows that in Katse Dam water levels started dropping in percentage terms from record levels to an average of 93 percent in 2015 and never recovered until seven years later.

It improved significantly at the beginning of 2018 to reach the 80 percent-mark but declined steadily over the rest of the year to a third – or around 30 percent – in October 2019.

Katse Dam’s water level remained at a critical level in 2020 and peaked in 2021.

When Katse dam levels drop during extreme droughts, electricity generation at ‘Muela plant also goes down, according to Poloko Sephelane, the LHDA’s Senior Engineer, Operations and Maintenance based at ‘Muela Plant.

“This is the same when dam levels rise, electricity production also goes higher,” Sephelane added.

“Each of our generators has a nominal rating of 24 MW. When dam levels are at their full capacity, we can reach as high as 30 MW from one generator. But if dam levels keep declining, even the electricity output declines to the ultimate minimum of 24 MW.

He said for instance, guide vanes could open at 70 percent to allow the inflow of water into the electricity generation system and give 20 MW when dam levels are high, but with lower dam levels, the opening must go beyond 70% for more water but give the same number of megawatts.

“This means with lower dam levels, more water is needed to give one megawatt as pressure needed to turn turbines is lower than when the head is higher,” Sephelane said, adding that in 2019, they had the worst experience and failed to meet targets as they were generating at lower pressure.

“This was quickly draining our dams as a higher volume was needed to reach the generator’s 24 MW capacity,” said Sephelane.

Climate changes the future of hydropower

A climate change vulnerability assessment conducted by the LHDA between 2022 and 2023 confirms that the outlook for Lesotho’s energy future is uncertain.

The study found that Lesotho, thanks to global climate change, is likely to experience more severe droughts.

Rising temperatures will reduce rain and snowfall flowing into the rivers and dams, particularly the Senqu basin, which all supply Lesotho’s hydropower plant.

“If nothing is done, there could be less water flowing through the LHWP system, affecting both hydropower generation and water transfer to South Africa. This could impact the royalties collected by the government of Lesotho from water transfers and decrease energy security,” warned Brown.

Renewable future

Despite the challenges, there is still hope for Lesotho’s energy crisis.

The country has significant potential for other clean energy, including wind, solar and biomass sources.
With a growing push for renewable energy, Lesotho aims to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and power imports by developing a diverse mix of energy sources.

The Lesotho Energy Policy (2015-2025) aims to increase independence through the development of both large and small-scale energy projects, including micro-hydro, wind and solar power plants.

A key component of the LHDA strategy, according to Brown, is the implementation of a comprehensive wetlands and rangelands rehabilitation and conservation programme in the LHWP catchments.

“This initiative is further supported by plans to declare the headwaters of the LHWP catchments as protected areas to enhance the project’s resilience to climate change impacts,” he added.

“However, with multiple interventions for climate adaptation and the LHDA’s Integrated Catchment Management interventions, together with the government and partners such as ReNoka, the project is doing what is possible to ensure sustainability and conservation of the catchments, water sources and to reduce impacts on the wetlands and rangelands that are the lifeblood of the water in the LHWP system and Lesotho’s water as a whole.”

While the road ahead is challenging, there is huge potential for sustainable energy sources in Lesotho.
As Brown puts it: “It is the LHDA’s priority to ensure that the future of hydropower is protected, and that is an effort for not just the Lesotho Government but also other regional governments in the ORASECOM who are beneficiaries of the Senqu/Orange River Basin.

Sechaba Mokhethi

Opinions

The long wait for Setsoto

Published

2 months ago

November 26, 2024

The Post

I write to an audience of concerned sports enthusiasts, especially the football fraternity, as well as the powers-that-be who are privileged enough to sit in this country’s executive. My message is more of an insight than a warning regarding the refurbishment of Setsoto Stadium.

My good brother, Molefi Lengosane, has raised our hopes for two months about installing an artificial turf at Setsoto Stadium. With propaganda verve and flavour, Lengosane has been giving his audience what they wanted to hear even when some of us have warned that the Setsoto Stadium project is stuttering and highly likely to remain in limbo for months to come.

At one point he claimed, in social media posts, that there was some earthmoving equipment working on the playing surface. I promptly asked him about the truthfulness of those claims.

I didn’t need him to convince me because I knew there was no iota of truth in those claims. True to form, he escalated the half-truths by boldly claiming that a company was manufacturing the mat and its trucks would be making their way to the stadium.

I was firm in my belief that this was not true because I was part of the process that awarded the tender a year ago. It didn’t make sense that the turf, the main part of the stadium’s rehabilitation, was now being manufactured a year after the tender was awarded. What had been the hold-up all this time?

It is also important to note that the rehabilitation of Setsoto Stadium to meet FIFA standards was much broader and more complex than just the replacement of the turf. Some structural issues have to be sorted out first.

For those who don’t know, in our SADC region, December is considered a contractors’ holiday month. This means very soon, manufacturers and suppliers of construction materials will close for the festive season. Some have actually stopped production lines to carry out annual maintenance ahead of closing for the festive period.

With the above scenario, you will recall that in or around August we were informed that the works on the Setsoto Stadium would need an estimated M75 million. That has probably escalated because when we issued the artificial turf project tender last year it was M5 million. Just two weeks ago the Honourable Minister of Sports proudly said it would now cost the taxpayer M7 million, a 40 percent escalation due to unjustified delays that border on negligence.

With the contractors holiday, one can be assured of further escalations from the M75 million when business resumes. We will then have to wait for the 2025/26 fiscal budget and this will balloon yet again.

When that happens, the cost might be too high and the government might be forced to abandon it.
While the escalations take effect, the FIFA and CAF calendars are not on hold. LeFA as a football organisation has to enroll teams in the FIFA and CAF competitions but given the way we do things in Lesotho, I honestly don’t see Setsoto Stadium working out in the short term. Something different has to be done.

I know some people might have a different opinion but my take, based on experience, is that we have some waiting to endure. Meanwhile, it will be our football that suffers.

The cost of playing home games in other countries would be mounting. Basotho will not be enjoying their beloved game.

What is sad is that we are capable of doing better but we don’t seem to want to. Instead, we are content with doing the same things that don’t work but expecting different results.

Mokhosi Mohapi

Opinions

Hear the voice of youths!

Published

2 months ago

November 26, 2024

The Post

AS we commemorate World Children’s Day under the theme “Listen to the Future,” wecall on the elders, policymakers and leaders to truly hear the voices of young people.

HIV, a persistent challenge in our communities, remains shrouded in stigma and misunderstanding despite years of education and advocacy.

As someone living with HIV, I can testify that our future demands open dialogue, bold action and an unwavering support from those in positions of influence.

For many, the journey with HIV begins in silence.

Fear and isolation take root and opportunities to seek help are overshadowed by stigma.

I remember the uncertainty I faced when I was first diagnosed. But through learning about the virus and connecting with others, I found strength in knowledge and community.

This journey showed me the urgent need for advocacy, not just for myself but for countless others whose voices remain unheard.

Advocating for HIV testing and support is about more than just health.
It is about dignity and survival.

Testing is the first critical step in taking control of one’s health, yet many avoid it due to fear of discrimination.

With proper treatment, people living with HIV can lead productive lives.

But that requires access, education and a community free from stigma — challenges we cannot overcome alone.

Elders and leaders hold the power to drive the change we need.

In Lesotho, the effects of HIV are woven into the fabric of our society. Families lose loved ones, leaving children to shoulder responsibilities far beyond their years.

This burden creates cycles of poverty and exclusion, impacting generations.

We cannot afford to turn a blind eye. HIV is not just a health issue; it is a human rights issue.

People living with HIV are our mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. They deserve respect, love and support — not fear or judgment.

Yet stigma persists, preventing open conversations and silencing those who need help most.

The voices of young people are essential to breaking this silence.

We are the future, but we cannot achieve change alone.

Leaders must support us by creating safe spaces for dialogue, providing access to accurate information and championing policies that make testing and treatment accessible to all.

Comprehensive sexual health education must be prioritised and resources for mental health and social support must be expanded.

Imagine a world where HIV is no longer a source of shame.

In this world, testing is routine, care is universal and stigma is a relic of the past. Families thrive in communities where health and well-being are prioritised and every child grows up with hope for a brighter tomorrow.

This vision can become a reality — but only if elders and leaders listen to our voices and act with urgency.

Your decisions shape the environment in which we live.

By fostering open conversations, funding education and healthcare and dismantling barriers to support, you have the power to transform lives and secure a healthier and more equitable future.

I urge every policymaker, community leader and elder to join us in this fight. Listen to the future.

Hear the stories of young people navigating these challenges and understand what we need to succeed.

Together we can build a world where no one is left behind, where every voice is valued and every child has the opportunity to thrive.

HIV advocacy is about more than battling the virus — it is about building a world where rights, dignity and hope define our collective future.

This is your call to action. Will you listen?

Rakhants’a Lehloibi