Ha Mochebelele

Our grand-father Lesira was born to the third house of Tlaba Mochebelele. He had six other siblings. Lesira was brought up in a village called Ha Selomo and had a strict upbring as he grew up because his father was principled. He had a fall out with his father and ran away to his uncle in Peterstyn (Free State) in South Africa in 1930. He kept contact with his estranged father and the broader family while residing at his uncle. He secured employment as a miner in Johannesburg, which the Basotho called Gauteng (a place of gold).

While living between Gauteng, Peterstyn and Butha-Buthe he met a Mokoena , Kojang, with whom he fell in love. They married in a traditional wedding which was described as the best by our grandma. Our grandpa had offered the best lobola or dowry for our grandma to be a Mofokeng. Our granma had been raised as a christian but managed to adaped to tha traditional ways of the Basothos in Lesotho. Their marriage had been blessed with five children; Pakiso, Rapelehang, Motoai, Sello (passed on when young) and MaSello.

The whole family left Peterstuyn for Maokeng-Kroonstad in 1945. This would be the time when migrant labour system was rife, when the blacks were displaced across the country, seeking for employment. Our grand-father was part of this system. He seldom spent time with his family in Kroonsstad. Whether he neglected his family or that he simply was not able to see them as expected, it's difficult to say. Despite the fact that people might say this or that about our grandpa, we owe it to him to respect his memory and what he came to represent both as a Mofokeng and a man in his and our lifetime.

Our grandma was quiet a magnificent lady, as she was able to take care of her family of four children in the absence of her husband who had taken employment in Gauteng. She saw all her children grow up, get married and witnessed the birth of all her grand-children.

She was a daughter of a devoted Christian, hence she herself became a devoted Christian who was able to heal the people of the spiritual ills of this world. She came to be respected by her community because of her deep-rooted spirituality.

She came to pass and join the ancestors of Bakoena and Bafokeng in 1982. To this day she is still looking over us, taking care of us the best way she knows how to.

Our grandpa came to settle back in Maokeng in his old age. Only then did we get to understand the kind of man he was and the impact that his upbringing had on him and subsequently his family. Our grandpa spent his last few days with his eldest son, Pakiso and his family. He finally passed on in 1986. Despite the fact he was not there for his family, he is performing tremendous acts by serving as our spiritual guide, leading the way through our problem-invested-lives.