Mohalenyane Phakela
DISC spinner, Ebonics, stole the show at the third edition of the annual Maletsunyane Braai Festival with hits that kept revellers busy on the dance floor.
The fiesta which ran from Friday till Sunday also attracted scores of adventure and party junkies from as far as Botswana and South Africa.
Also, in attendance was Deputy Prime Minister, Monyane Moleleki, his daughter Limpho along with the Minister of Gender, Youth, Sports and Recreation, Mahali Phamotse.
Ms Moleleki could not get enough of the music while the two government officials enjoyed the views from the VIP tent and also went around the gazebos to greet and interact with the patrons.
DJ Ebonics opened the performance floor on Saturday morning with classic hip hop and RnB jams and set the tone for the party as hordes of revellers were only arriving and setting up their gazebos and braai stands.
The Maseru-born deejay left the stage three hours later making way for DJ Anchor who maintained the tempo with 80s and 90s jams. Jam Sessions’ DJ Napolinah took to the decks slightly after midday bringing a dose of kwaito which slowly attracted patrons back to the dancefloor in front of the stage.
DJ Ebonics returned to the DJ booth later on and continued on the kwaito tip proving his versatility. He immediately made way for jazz crooner Selimo Thabane for a sound check.
Due to the compelling clamours from the audience, Thabane was forced to belt out a few tracks instead of the sound check but later left the stage for the DJs promising to return later in the evening.
DJ Ebonics returned with a more rejuvenated set literally dragging the audience to the dancefloor. His set was well thought out, ascending into a climax with each new track.
As much as it was a braai festival, some were in attendance to enjoy the performances, the picturesque scenery of the famous 192 metres Maletsunyane Falls — the world’s longest commercial single drop abseil.
However, catering services were provided by the likes of Thaba Bosiu Cultural Guest House and The Clan Guest House staff who ensured that those who sold sumptuous meals.
There was also a tree planting session on one end of the venue which was also led by Mr Moleleki and Dr Phamotse. It was an adventurous excursion to get to the tree planting site as participants had to either book into a chopper, rent a quad bike from Leseli Tours, or rent a horse from the community at M100 for a trip.
There were also a variety of crafts for sale by the community and traditional food.
Medical health providers, Mamoth, ensured they promote healthy lifestyle through an aerobics sessions which they provided to patrons. To entice more people to participate in the exercise, Mamoth gave out smart watches and power banks to those who showed enthusiasm during the session.
Vodacom Lesotho also gave out helicopter and quad-bike rides to patrons who topped up their M-Pesa or loaded over M100 airtime into their phones.
The merrymaking was almost derailed as violent whirlwinds almost derailed the fun in the afternoon tossing gazebos into the air while others were left in tatters. However, that did not deter the party mood as revellers only took down their gazebos but continued to party in the dusty environment.
Organisers tried to control the situation by sprinkling water to settle the dust and then the party continued into the night.
Other performers at the festival included rapper Juvy, Famo veteran Mantša, DJ Da Starr and South African Motswako rapper Tuks Senganga among others.
