Africa-Press – Lesotho. My good people, I feel I have to share this with you hoba hee batho baa bua.
Someone said, ho lehlohonolo lona ba maoto a nang le li-corns, hobane le hata fatše ka boikokobetso.
Boikokobetso being the operative word.
When loosely translated, this means, lucky are those who have corns on their toes because they walk with so much humility.
I felt that I had to share this because our topic is rather boring this week because of a stubborn institution that just refuses to consult the public.
This opinion piece follows numerous blunders made by the Department of Traffic on introducing the new national number plates.
The biggest blunder of them all, was when a whole Minister of Transport admitted on national television (LTV), that he wasn’t aware that the coat of arms is a symbol used by the Royal Palace.
Meaning, the Royal Palace has a flag bearing the coat of arms.
So, we have a minister that goes on TV to say that he wasn’t aware of that fact hence the blunder of authorising the use of the coat of arms on civilian number plates.
Haai! The things we see on Lesotho Television.
In any case, before we start, I must congratulate a few of the people for contributing opinion pieces in thepost newspaper.
I am referring to an opinion piece written by a good old friend of mine Kabi Kolobe.
It was an interesting read and quite insightful.
Of course, not forgetting Ntate Mokhosi Mohapi.
Good work! We need more and more.
Talking about Kolobe, I remember a time in the year 1999/2000, I had just started my first business venture and operated from an office at Christie House.
The office was on the 4th Floor and Letšeng Diamonds had an office on the 2nd floor if not mistaken.
So, surprise, surprise, my first client was indeed, Letšeng Diamonds.
That’s cause, on one morning, Kabi Kolobe walked into my office and placed an order for business cards for his father Ntate Kolobe who was a manager.
So, I was with my business partner, Tšololo Makeka, and you can imagine the excitement on our faces when we got our first client.
So, I asked Kolobe, “What business are you in?” He said, “In diamond mining.
We’re opening a diamond mine”.
Then we looked at each other with Tšokolo with confusion written all over our faces.
Opening a mine? In Lesotho?
Well, in my mind I thought, “What is this guy smoking?” That’s because Letšeng Diamonds operated from a very small office and the thought of an operation that small opening a diamond mine was way beyond our imagination.
So, to cut the long story short, Kabi ordered business cards for his father, Ntate Kolobe and instead of writing Manager we made a silly spelling mistake and wrote ‘manger’.
Well, the rest is history.
Letšeng Diamonds has now become the “bread winner” of Lesotho.
Literally! This economy would have been long dead had it not been of Letšeng Diamonds.
It has also created two of Lesotho’s multi-millionaires.
Yes, from humble beginnings in a tiny office at the second floor of Christie House in 1999.
By the way, I still remember ‘M’e Mazvi when she was starting out at Letšeng.
She drove a silver Opel Corsa.
It sounds like a dream now.
Right! Let’s talk about a boring topic: li-number plates.
I say this because the Department of Traffic seems not to grasp simple fundamentals of operating in a democratic state.
I am referring to basic fundamentals such as consulting the public before and after making decisions of national importance.
I am referring to a simple issue where the Department of Traffic failed to consult the public yet again, and this time when it had to revert to the Mokorotlo Hat as a main symbol and feature of the national number plate system.
Yes, yet again, the number plates have been introduced without proper press briefings, without proper public consultations and without informing neighbouring countries.
But, you see, we have normalised this kind of mediocrity to a level where it has now become a way of life.
So the new number plates have been introduced bearing the Mokorotlo hat.
Good idea! However, what I find disturbing is that the hat has been placed off-centre and completely out of position.
This has left an open space that no one knows what it is meant to actually do.
I have an idea though.
That tiny space could be used to place the national flag.
I think it would be a very good idea to incorporate the national flag and this would give the national number plates more identity as it is done in other countries such as Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya.
The idea of having the national flag incorporated in the number plates will also help to boost our self-worth as the Basotho people and be a catalyst to the much needed patriotism.
Lastly, there is a thought that crossed my mind and need to share it with you.
As far as I can remember, the Mokorotlo hat design is a design created and owned (copyright) by an architect named Peter Hankock.
Well, that is what he once told me.
Now, I wonder whether the Department of Traffic cleared some copyright matters before reintroducing the hat onto the new national number-plate design.
If not, this could introduce a new set of copyright problems.
These are issues that could have been highlighted in public consultations.
Now that we are reforming almost everything except our stinking attitudes and polluted mind-sets, we might as well look into reforming the national flag.
I don’t think the black Basotho hat does justice to the flag.
A gold hat with a black band in the background would give it a touch of ‘class’.
What do you think?
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