… mourners eulogize renowned journalist as a loving man
Moroke Sekoboto
LOCAL radio station Tṧenolo FM’s late founder, Mohau Kobile, was as a passionate, patient, and persistent man who achieved all goals he set for himself.
This is according to former Deputy Prime Minister Monyane Moleleki, who added that Lesotho had lost a “principled and visionary man” in Mr Kobile.
Mr Moleleki also described Mr Kobile as a man who served Lesotho with “dedication and distinction”.
He was addressing mourners at Mr Kobile’s memorial service at the CRC Hall in Katlehong, Maseru.
Mr Kobile died on 18 April 2024, at the age of 53, after a long illness. His funeral service will be on Sunday at the ‘Manthabiseng Convention Centre.
Mr Moleleki said the country had lost one of the country’s media pioneers who was full of love, respect and “had the ability to unite people”.
“Our deep condolences to the Kobile family, the media fraternity, former colleagues and Basotho in general. We have lost a man with a true sense of humour who served Lesotho with dignity,” Mr Moleleki said.
“This is a great loss for Lesotho. We have indeed lost a true son of the soil, and if all journalists were like him, we could unite as a nation.”
Mr Kobile served as Maseru Mayor between 1998 and 2000, and as a Commissioner of the Local Government Service Commission from 2015 till his death.
Current Maseru City Council (MCC) Mayor, Motlalepula Sepipi, said Mr Kobile was a hardworking and compassionate person, as his first name denotes.
He had achieved much in his youth, Mr Sepipi said.
“He was a compassionate person like his name denotes. He was hardworking and we are proud of him, especially because he served at MCC. He was a brave person with many achievements, judging by his age, he still had a lot to offer,” Mr Sepipi said.
His former colleagues, Harvest FM’s Nkosana Kunene and Thaha-Khube FM’s Tebello Sepoqoane, echoed similar sentiments, saying Mr Kobile was dedicated to his work and was fun to work with.
They said he joined the media industry during difficult times but opened doors for many because of his sense of humour and the fact that he was grounded.
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) chairperson, Kananelo Boloetse, also conveyed his condolences to the Kobile family, media fraternity, his colleagues and Basotho for their loss.
“Radio stations and the media in general are the voice of the people as they amplify their opinions….
“The national reforms must be completed as Basotho want, for the media to be free, strong and report responsibly. And for the sake of press freedom and access to information,” Mr Boloetse said.
One of the commissioners of the Local Government Service Commission, Mamontṧeng Phatela, said she had learnt a lot from Mr Kobile, having worked with him from 2015 until he departed.
“He was compassionate, generous, and down to earth. He was a man of great wisdom who had a sharp memory. He was a forgiving person and dedicated to his work.” Ms Phatela said.
The three former ministers of communications, Serialong Qoo, Sam Rapapa and Tseliso Mokhosi also paid their tribute, praising Mr Kobile for being a loving, supportive and dedicated person in his lifetime.
Mr Kobile is the son of Lekhotla Kobile and Moipone Kobile. He leaves behind his wife ‘Matṧireletso, eldest son Tṧireletso and his sister ‘Matṧeliso, as well as his elderly parents.
Mr Kobile was an eloquent political journalist.
Together with the late Adam Lekhoaba (the late husband to Harvest FM founder ‘Malichaba Lekhoaba), he openly challenged policies of former Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili’s government, especially after the October 2006 formation of erstwhile premier Tom Thabane’s All Basotho Convention (ABC).
Messrs Kobile and Lekhoaba were therefore harassed and threatened by agents of the Mosisili government. But they were not deterred. The threats against them only fuelled them to further expose what they saw as the injustices and corruption of that government.
Mr Lekhoaba died in 2009. But Mr Kobile would continue with his activism, eventually founding the now twelve-year old Tṧenolo FM in 2012.
But the tables would soon turn when Mr Thabane’s ABC was propelled to power after the June 2012 elections, leading a coalition comprised of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and the Basotho National Party (BNP).
Mr Kobile had fallen out with Mr Thabane after he (Kobile) began calling out the new prime minister on his new radio station.
Mr Kobile had now shifted loyalties, siding with Mr Mosisili who was then leading his Democratic Congress (DC). The former premier had founded the DC just months before the 2012 elections, went on to obtain majority votes in those elections but was still outed by Mr Thabane after the latter brokered a coalition deal with LCD and BNP.
Mr Mosisili was then relegated to the opposition, deputised by Mr Moleleki whom Mr Kobile was close to.
Those relations would see Mr Kobile’s Tṧenolo FM’s reporting leaning towards support for DC and criticism for ABC and its coalition partners. That conduct stirred the anger of particularly ABC supporters, who in July 2014 stormed the Tṧenolo FM offices, then at DLM Complex, attacking the reporter who was on air at the time, Tṧokolo Toi. The radio station’s studio equipment was vandalised.
Through his political connections, Mr Kobile would secure himself a government post as one of the commissioners of the Local Government Service Commission after Mr Mosisili returned to power after the February 2015 snap elections.