GLOSSARY
Lesotho glossary

Mamookho

(LESOTHO 22)

Sex	female
Age	30s
Occupation	farmer/garment maker
Location	Ha Koporale
Date	L

transcript

Section 1	I am ’Mateboho Phakisi, I come from Mohale’s Hock, Thoteng. I married in Maseru Thabong, I work at Sechaba Consultants. Who are you madam? I am ’Mamookho Tota
	’M’e ’Mamookho Tota, where is your home? You mean where I was born?
	Yes, Madam. I was born at Ha Tonesolo, in a village called Buthoba-pelo.
	In which district?In Thaba-Tseka District. Speak louder madam so that I may hear.Where are you married?I am married at Ha Koporala in a village called Bethani. Who is your husband?He is Ntate Tsatsi Tota. Where is his home?At Ha Koporala. Do you have children?Yes, we have children. How many are they?They are six. How many girls and how many boys?There are four girls and two boys. Are you living together with your children here?We live together with our children but one boy is married and one girl has gone to school. Where are the others?They are here at home. What are they doing?Two girls attend school, the older son was working but he is now retrenched. Was he working in the mines?He was working with LHDA. In the local area...? Yes.
Section 2	Oh right madam, I would like to know how you met and married with your husband.We met on our way to school and church. Oh I see, are your villages not far from one another that you went to the same school and church?They are not very far from one another
	Oh, they are near each other. But how did you find yourselves living together?He proposed marriage and I agreed to the proposal. That is how we came to live together. You got to an agreement? Yes, together with our parents.
	Did, you get into traditional marriage or our modern type of marriage?How did you marry? We eloped, and later went to church.
	You eloped and later went to church to confirm your marriage. When you joined his family, how was life? It was good life.
	You found it good, was it different from your family life or was it the same? There was no difference.
	Was it the same? Yes.
	Were his mother and father handling you the same way as your own parents? Yes.
	Even his brothers and sisters took you as one of the family members? Oh! Children are always bringing some problems.
	Whenever such problems arouse, what step was taken? They were stopped, and after, we lived together peacefully.
Section 3	Was it often happening or … Yes it often occurred even after they were stopped.
	What kind of games were you playing as you grew up? When we girls grew up, we played “houses”, and there we cooked likhobe (cooked grains) and we threshed some grass called inolula – it has some seeds – we made skipping ropes with grass and did many other things at our “houses”.
	What were you cooking at your “houses”? We cooked likhobe, we brewed bear, we were given wheat which we ground and kneaded. We played mothers and some were our children.
	How did you have these things, were you asking for them or were you… We asked for them, but some of us were stealing them from their homes.
	Yes Madam, that is children’s behaviour. Exactly.
	May I know if fathers were there at the “houses” as children were there? Yes they were there, boys were the ones who played “fathers”, they were given the names of some elderly men in the village.
	Another thing madam, did you go to school? Yes I did.
	Where? I went to Poloko Ha Tsiu.
	Which standard did you come to? What is it called nowadays?
	Just say it the older way. Four, four.
	What did you do after that? I eloped after that.
	You eloped there and then? Yes.
	How many were you in your family? We were three.
	How many girls and how many boys? Two girls and one boy.
Section 4	Where are they now? My sister is at Ha Marakabei, my brother is in Maseru at Ha Leqele.
	And you are here? Yes.
	Do they have children? Yes.
	Do you remember how many they are? My sister has only one daughter, my brother has four children, two boys and two girls.
	Oh, thank you madam, let me know, what is the name of your village? It is Bethani.
	The name of the chief? Mokhahle.
	Under whom is he? What do you mean? Do you mean his chief?
	Yes, who is his chief? He is Seeiso.
	Is he the principal chief of the whole area? Yes, he is.
	*May I know something else, when you were girls did you not go to the river or go to gather wood? All such things as girls usually do, going to gather khapane* (dry dung).** We were going to gather firewood, dry dung… going to the fields to hoe, harvesting and threshing.
	How was the work in general? It was good work.
	Did you like it? Yes.
	What did you actually like much? I liked threshing.
	Did you actual thresh, or were you taking food to those who were doing the work? I actually went to the fields and threshed with cattle.
	So you also took part in the threshing process? Yes.
Section 5	Was there any river near your village or is there a river here near your village? There was a river near my home.
	Was there any important thing you used the river for? We were washing at the river?
	You as girls, were you not using the river for some special activities, that is, was the river not serving a special purpose for you girls at that time? No, ours was just to go and wash ourselves and wash clothes only.
	Going to swim in the river? Yes.
	May I know this, how is the life here in your village not only in your family? The life is quite good here.
	Is it the same as your home village?Yes. Don’t you feel any change in your life?No, there is nothing. What do you like most?Here in the village? YesI like the position of the village and farming, as I am a vegetable farmer and I manage to feed my family. Do you have fields here?I have a field. How many?I have one field of my own. Any other field?I still plough other people’s fields and share the crop. At least how many? Is sharing what is called seahlolo (sharecropping)?Yes. How is the harvest?Well, The harvest is not very good, one seldom gets ten or twenty bags. How was the harvest at your former home compared to this one, do you see any difference between what your parents used to get in their field and what people get here, because it seems places are different.At my home they grow wheat and peas mainly. How was the harvest?Years differ. Sometimes they get good harvest, while in some years they get a little. Is it the matter of different years?Yes, the difference of years just like here. Yes madam, the harvest differs from year to year.Yes. What kind of farming are you using?We use plough and oxen. Where do you get seeds?We get seeds from our crop. The crop we produce, is the same we take back to the fields. You repeat the same crop and sow it?Yes. How many times do you repeat it?We start ploughing from the eighth to ninth month. I want to know how many times you take the seeds back to soil after the harvest, is it a continuous process?We repeat it until it is bad, but still, we sort it out and use the one which is still in good condition. Don’t you think this repetition of seed, is the one that lowers your harvest?It does not lower it at all. Does it not lower it?No. Or else, does it keep it unchanged?It is the matter of changing fields.
Section 6	Change of fields? If I sow this crop in this field this year, next year I saw it in another field.
	When you say this, I get excited madam, in this way you mean, in one field you plant different crops? Yes.
	That is encouraged? It is encouraged that you should plant different crops in one field.
Section 7	I am motivated to see you are aware of things like this, but I would at least ask you to be aware of the issue of repetition of seeds. That is the source of poor harvest, but since you say your harvest never lowers, I don’t see a problem. But with little knowledge I have, I would discourage repetition of seeds. The issue of changing the seeds?
	As you say that you sow, harvest and sow the same seed from your harvest repeatedly, according to the experts that is wrong because the seed has lost it quality and therefore does not produce good harvest. I thank you very much, and also happy to notice that you have the knowledge of importance of crop rotation. Didn’t you have songs you sang when you were girls? Do you remember any? There were many of them! The mokopu (pumpkin songs)
	Can you remember any one of them? Aaao!
	Please sing it for me. I don’t know how to sing.
	But you were singing. I used to keep quiet while they were singing, I did the dancing part only.
	Don’t you at least remember some words in the song? We used to say: “Re feng mokopu reje re tsamaee”.. That is the song I remember.
	But I don’t think you have said all the words of the song. It’s true you were clapping your hands while they were singing the song repeatedly? Yes.
	All I’m saying is that you should try to say the words as they are, even if you cannot sing. I do understand when you say you don’t know how to sing, but try to say the words as they are. What shall I say? We used to say:Bafeng mokopu, baje ba tsamaee Leha e le metsi ba noe ba tsamaee (Give them pumpkin, so that they should eat and go Even if it is just water, so that they can drink and go) Is that all?Yes. Thank you madam, do you remember that one only?Yes. Were you singing mokopu what about motonoso?Motonoso and mokopu are one thing. I’m sorry madam, I was trying to say something else.Mokhibo (Basotho women’s dance)? Yes madam.It was there.
Section 8	Can you say only two songs?Like a person who does not know to sing. Just words, for it happens that one who does not know how to sing may remember the words of the song she liked, even if she forgets how it was sung.Yes.
	*Yes madam.We said: Makfane mose o setse lekhaloaneng, re tia ofi~rnana wng* (?). That is the first song for mokhibo which we sang when we were girls.** Another one?Which was another one? Do you not remember?No. I don’t. It’s long time ago. I thank you for what you have given me, you tried your level best. What did you say you like most here where you are living now?Here? Yes madam.It is farming. I plant vegetables, potatoes and therefore I manage to feed my children. Where do you get the seeds?At the agricultural centre. Is there such a place in the neighbourhood?We get the potato seed at Ha Marakabei, as for vegetable seeds we buy from the local shops or from town. Which town do you mean madam?Maseru. Do the local shops sell seeds?Yes, the vegetable ones. Do you mean the ones in packets?You are right madam. How is the price? Is it not unacceptable?Yes it is an unfair price, it is very expensive because you will find that, a small packet costs M2 or Ml according to the different people.
Section 9	Do you mean the sellers?Yes. But, can you still afford to buy them?Yes, we afford to buy them. Where is your husband now?He is there. Is he working?He is an animal farmer.
	You mean he is not employed.No. Was he ever employed?He worked in the mines.
	Do you remember when he left work?Not at all, I don’t remember. Was it shortly after your arrival here?It is long time ago. It was before I had a child, shortly after my arrival he left for work. It could be early seventies. It maybe ’73.
	From there, did he work somewhere or he started self-employment with his stock farming. He became self employed there and then.
	How do you make your living. We make our living out of wool.
	Do you have sheep and goats? Yes.
	How many sheep and how many goats? I don’t know the number, he is the one who knows.
	Is he the one who knows? Yes.
	Are they staying here or at the cattle-post? They are at the cattle-post because, here at home. There is no grazing land because of the fields.
Section 10	Do they have a shepherd or are they just by themselves, and he just goes to see them regularly? They have a shepherd.
	Does he, as the owner of the flock goes to see them? Yes.
	What kind of report does he give? To me?
	Yes madam. He gives the report about the dead ones or the stolen ones because there is also stock theft.
	Beside that he gives the report on good condition of the flock? Yes.
	How are you living together with the villagers? Sometimes there are some misunderstandings which are settled.
	There is an issue of witchcraft, is it a problem here, though you never know the truth about it, whether it is existing or not, but as the Basotho, we still have a feeling that it exists. We never know because we have never seen a witch, so it remains uncertain.
	By so saying you mean there is no witchcraft? I don’t know, I really don’t know what to say about this issue of witchcraft.
	Sometimes people complain about seeing a certain woman giving them food in a dream or riding on the now the next thing these people vomit, or things like that. There is nothing like that.
	Madam, I have heard rumours that say your village is going to move because of Highlands Water Project. Yes. Some people say that and others say no, so I don’t know the truth about that.
	Other people say they do not move, have they taken that from their chief or is it just their stubbornness? LHDA representatives say different things. Some say we are moving and others say we are not because our village is high on the mountain.
	So you are not sure? Some say we shall move later when the dam is built.
	Have they come to a conclusion that it is necessary that you move or not? Yes.
	May I ask this question, you as the owners of the village, what is your opinion about moving? If we are asked to move, we shall simply have to, because even if we refuse, the position of the dam, shows that as the water goes up it will damage our houses.
Section 11	Shall you move because you have to? From this village?
	Yes. We shall move because of the problem we are facing, otherwise we would not leave this beautiful place.
	Don’t you want to move? We want.
	So there is nothing important you will miss in this village? We shall go with it where were are going.
	Even the fields? Fields?
	Yes. We shall still plough our fields.
	From where you shall be? Yes.
	It is because I heard you saying you shall take everything, that is why I asked you about the fields. The fields which will be affected by the dam, we shall not plough, but those that will be free we shall plough, because we shall not be far from them.
	To which village are you going to move? Ha Koporala.
	Does this village Ha Koporala have small villages which are part of it as you say you will move to Ha Koporala? Yes, there are.
	Are those villages not moving? No, Chief’s village and Lekhalong are not moving, I can choose to move to one of those two.
	You would choose between Moreneng and Lekhalong? I would like to be at that mountain.
	Would you like to live alone on the mountain? I’ll be satisfied even if I am all by myself?
	Is it legal, or will the chief allow you? If the law or the chief does not allow it, I will move to Moreneng.
Section 12	You choose Moreneng from Lekhalong? Yes.
	What do you like best at Moreneng not Lekhalong? I want to be near the road.
	What is important about the road? It is important because it helps in quicker means of transport. If I want to go to the lowlands like Maseru and other places where our children are attending school, it does not take me long before I get to the road and catch a bus. When the road is far, I cannot manage to walk for a long time in the rain, as a result the journey will be cancelled.
	Is that your only reason. Even when I am sick, I can easily be taken to the doctor.
	I understand you will quickly be taken to the doctor. Explain how.If someone is sick or dead, people usually rush to any nearby vehicle owner and ask him to take the patient to the doctor as quickly as he can, it does not matter whether it is night or day time, because there is a lot of traffic here.
	You mean there is a lot of traffic here all the time?Not very much but the vehicles are passing here until early night. What do they come here for?They are passenger vehicles or private ones. You know that people do not take journeys at the same time. That is why they come at different times. Some of these vehicles are going to the tunnel, so you may as well ask for help from them. So these are your reasons?Yes. What don’t you like at Lekhalong? Does it mean that all you have mentioned cannot be found at Lekhalong?Lekhalong? Yes.I cannot see them all. It is also impossible for me to walk to Lekhalong on foot at night. Is Lekhalong not in view from here?No, it is not. So you won’t see what is happening?Lekhalong is a bit far, I cannot even send a child on confidential matters. How do you get your water supply?We get our water from the springs. Protected or not?They are not protected, we do our own protection. Why do you use the water from unprotected springs?We don’t know how to do it. We don’t have ability. What do you mean by ability?We are poor, we cannot afford to buy cement. How would you like it done?We have just done it the cheap way, we have built stone walls around them?
Section 13	With mud?Yes. How would you like it done if you could afford it.I would like taps. What type? Because they are of different types.What is it? They say there must be a tank somewhere, then I don’t actually know how that thing operates, I don’t even know its name. Yes madam.These ones which are turned around to bring water up are two heavy for our chests. You mean the ones they call bicycles? Yes, our chests are weak.
	Or these ones which are like you are stirring a pot?Yes. Do you like the taps like those found in towns?Yes. Have rural development servants not come to your place? Or any civil servants?No. Have they never visited you?No. Is it necessary that they come here?Yes it is quite necessary, we also want to be helped in different ways. Now that you need them, what steps are you taking to show that you need them?We are doing nothing? Until when?We are doing nothing because we are uncertain whether we are moving or not. Today they say you are moving, tomorrow, you are not moving. We fail to get the things we would like to have, we have contributed our money for bridges and roads, but all in vain, our money has been misused, until … To whom did you pay the money?To the chief with his committees. Did he appoint the committees himself’?They were elected by the community. What were the committees for?They were development committees. We wanted bridges and roads, Senqunyane River was frustrating us. Now LHDA has come to our rescue, before any of the above mentioned is fulfilled. What part did the community play besides that one of the chief?I say, the committees were elected by the community. They go to the offices in Maseru and give the needs of people of the Ha Koporala. Were they giving a report back from Maseru?Yes, they did come and tell us that we would be supplied with this and that, but until to date, nothing has materialised, until LHDA came to our aid.
Section 14	May I know this, is the water from unprotected springs not bringing you health hazards?Since we grew up using this water we never know whether the diseases we catch or our children are caused by the water we use. But when the spring is no longer clean, we come together as women and clean it. Men also come and help in building of walls around the spring. What do you use for building walls?I say, we built with stones. Let’s go back to the issue of water. How much water do you have in all?We have a lot of water. A lot of water?Yes. Are there springs? There are springs. How many at least?We are surrounded by four springs here. Do they give you a good supply of water?Two of them dry up during droughts, or I can say three dry up. There is one that supplies the whole village even during drought. Do they have names?The powerful one which does not dry up has a name. We call it Khohlong. What is the name of this river passing by this way?That big one? Yes madam.Senqunyane. Why is it called Senqunyane?I don’t know because ever since I was born it has been called Senqunyane. Are there some smaller rivers which flow into it?There are many of them, like Jorotane, Bokong, Tsoelike plus some streams. Is this river of any importance to you?It is very important. Can you give me an example of importance?When water is finished everywhere, we wash our clothes in that river, our animals also drink there.
Section 15	Is it the matter of washing and drinking of animals only?Yes. Don’t you think you will miss it if you happen to move as it may be the case because you will be far from it?When we are far from it?
	Yes madam.We may or we may not, because they promise to bring us water into the village. In what way?We don’t actually know how they will bring us water, maybe it will be tap water system. Are the developments going to include you and old villagers of the place you will have moved to?If you choose a site among them, they will build a house there. If you choose a site away from them it is still OK. Your houses will be quite different from others?Yes. What did you say the name of the village was?I said this village is Letsatseng or Bethani. What is the connection between Koporala and this village?Koporala is headquarters. It is where the chief lives. There are some of her small villages under Koporala. Why was this village called Letsatseng?I found it already called Letsatseng when I arrive here newly wed. You mean when you arrived here newly married. What level of education have your children reached? One of them is in class 1 another class 2. The two boys who are no longer going to school have both done standard 6.
Section 16	Why have they stopped in that class? Because we are taking them to school.
	Did they finish at school? They finished at this local school, one did standard 7. We took him to another school. Another one is down in the lowlands.
	What about others? The boys had to look after animals.
	Why? They chose to go to their traditional school, (circumcision).
	Do other children besides boys go to schools well? Yes.
	Like the one you said you were from taking her halfway? Yes.
	Did you ever work? I never worked.
	Why? I am self-employed.
	Are you a housewife who has never been employed? No.
	Coming back to LHDA, do you think the Project is of any importance to the people here, or it will be helpful to the people of this village after you will have moved to a new place. Because I have never seen people who have been moved by LHDA, I am not in a position to say there are benefits or not.
Section 17	What else have you have promised when you reach the new place? They have promised to build us houses. Besides that, there is money which will be given as compensation for upset mind, fields, trees and many others.
	What do you mean by upset? Being taken out of the village.
	I see. Is it taken as upsetting because most of you don’t want to move? Yes.
	Besides this, don’t you know whether you will be given jobs or not? They say they will give us jobs?
	What kind of jobs? They are coming to build commercial schools, where we shall learn skills like sewing, knitting and many others.
	Will they also bring teachers who are going to teach in those schools? Yes, they will bring teachers who are going to teach in those schools?
	Who is going to pay them? LHDA.
	Do you mean LHDA? Yes.
	Have you shown any acknowledgement of this privilege? Yes we have, we want to see development here.
	Did you choose for yourself what you wanted, or were you told what would be done for you? They told us that they were bringing development to the people of this place who are being moved from their former homes, so that they should be self reliant.
	Did you accept? Yes.
	How did they mention it to you? There were some people who attended workshops at Likalaneng and then came back to disseminate the information to us through lipitso (meetings). They told us that LHDA brings developments like the above mentioned, so that the whole country will be developed later.
	*Who are conducting pitso* (meeting)?** LHDA officers. The chief invites his people.
	*During the pitso* session, you listen and then ask questions later?** We listen, then ask questions and they answer.
Section 18	Then you go home satisfied? Yes.
	How did you respond when you were told that you were going to move to another place, or were you content when you were promised some sorts of developments. There is no how people would just say yes when they are told to move, but under circumstances, we had to admit for the fear that, if we refused, they would no longer build us houses, for they build houses for those who have been moved all over.
	What is your opinion on the houses they are going to build for you? On houses they are going to build for us?
	Yes , which they are going to build for you. They must build us houses because they are responsible for our moving, we would not move if it was not because of them.
	That is why I wanted to know your opinion on new houses which are going to be built for you. We are content, we shall be content.
	Now I see people working in the project, where do they come from? You mean those working for LHDA?
	Yes madam. They come from different parts of the world.
	Yes, those many men, some of which are driving lorries, other drive those big yellow things while other are working with shovels. They come from many parts of the world, they are from inside and outside the country.
	Where do they live? They are renting houses in the village, some of them are living in the compound.
	The compound at Moreneng? Yes.
	As villagers, are you satisfied with their presence in your village? Yes.
	Is that true that there are some workers who come from far villages from these ones of yours. Where LHDA is performing some other businesses, and the local people are not working? The local people were also working but now the work they were doing is over, only a few of them have remained, most of the workers are from outside. How did it come that local people are fewer than outside people?That concerns chiefs or LTIDA. In what way?Because LHDA employs people from outside and the chiefs do not show any interest of seeing that their people are served fairly. Is the employment conducted by the chief or LHDA?It is conducted by LHDA and the chiefs committees. When there are people who seek for jobs, what happens? Is the chief called to have a say or is he asked to give the project employees? I just want to understand what actually happens.The chief is asked to give the Project people who seek employment, but you will find that it does not work that way in most cases, people are just employed without consulting the chief. Do they sometimes employ workers according to the skills they have or …? I am not sure, but some of the jobs need people with special skills, while others do not. Like this one of shovel, it does not need special skill.The pick axe and shovel work does not any skill. Which policy do they actually use for employment?According to my judgement, LHDA employs anybody who comes without consulting the chief. Is there anything the chief can do to see that people are employed accordingly? Or was there any arrangement made for the chief to take part in the proper process of employment, or was he just asked to give out people who need to be employed?The chief is often to Likalaneng with his committees on LHDA’s businesses, I don’t know what is actually said there, whether he is given power to employ or not, or whether he is asked to see that this people get employment, I don’t know.
Section 19	Let’s pass to another thing. Are there any churches here?They are there. Schools?Yes, they are there. Primary and secondary schools?Primary schools.
	Health clinics?They are not here, but at Likalaneng. Is the absence of basic services here give you some problems?Yes they give us problems. What are you doing to see that you have those services near you?We are doing nothing. Are you satisfied?We are not satisfied, but we are doing nothing. What are you doing as villagers to show that you are not satisfied?We are doing nothing. Why? We need someone to encourage us, if we would have such a person who would arouse our interest, we could certainly do something about these problems.
Section 20	What do you mean by encouragement? Do you mean from civil service or any other person from outside? We just need somebody to encourage us to do something, whether from outside, locally or even our chief if ever he advises us to do something, we shall surely do it. We just need guidance.
	What do you mean by outside person? It may be agricultural demonstration or nutritionist or any of such people. None of them has ever visited us.
	So you mean that if such a person comes you will be revived. Sometimes you are not aware that you need this or that, so somebody from outside may come and put you in light of things you were not aware of. Yes he may say let’s do this.
	How far or near are the churches? The distances differ, but they are not very far. One is across, another is at Moreneng and the other one is at Ha Tsiu while another one is at Ha Mohale, that is not very far.
	I heard you saying one is across, across what is it? It is across the river, Molika-liko.
	What do you do when the river is in flood? When the river is in flood people do not go anywhere.
	Don’t they go to the church? They at least go to their prayer meeting houses.
	What happens about the schools, are they far or near? The schools are where the churches are.
Section 21	Do you mean that the church building is also a school? Yes.
	How does it work? Which school uses which church? That church building, becomes a school on school days and becomes a church on Sundays.
	If the church belongs to LEC is the school also belonging to LEC? Children belonging to different churches like, RC, ACL, or LEC go to one school.
	I would like to know whether if the church is RC, and it is used as a school, does that school belong to it? Yes.
	Thank you madam. Apart from this where do you get a clinic? Likalaneng.
	How for is it from here? It is quite far.
	How do you get there? We used to go on foot, but of late we go by vehicles because of the Project.
	How does the Project get in this? Their road.
	Was there no road at all before? There was no road, we went on foot.
	What did you do when you were sick or on matters concerning women as the clinic is far?We were going on foot to Likalaneng. If a person was very sick he was taken on a stretcher made of sticks, and men carried him. Is there a mortuary at the clinic?It is not there, there is a clinic only. What did you do when a person was so sick? He is taken to Mantsonyane. Is it nearer than Maseru?What about Thaba-Tseka?It is far. Is it too far?Yes, because you pass Mantsonyane. So you take Mantsonyane as your hospital?Yes, because it is near to us. Is Mantsonyane the nearest hospital of all?Yes.
Section 22	How are the services there?In the past, they used to be very good, I don’t know how they are now since I have not been there of late. Is it the government hospital or church one?I know it as church hospital. Which church?Anglican church. How did it work?It was working very well in those days, because it had all the services a patient needs. Let me ask this question; what do you do here when death has occurred?When a person is dead we bury him immediately or take him to the mortuary at Masianokeng. Which Masianokeng are you talking about? Do you mean far in the lowlands?I mean there. It is the same as Maseru.Yes. How do you manage the expenses of transport, is it not to high. When you take your corpse down and then later bring it back home, together with funeral services. Is that not too much?They are too high. But you manage?Yes. Does it not make life too difficult?It is difficult. Do you have graveyard here?Yes.
	Where is it? Is it not too far or is it right in the village here?In every village, the chief gives his people a site for graveyard. Now that are moving, what are you going to do with graves as Basotho Nation value their graves so much? LHDA officers have promised to take the graves to the new place where their owners will move to.
Section 23	How are graves transferred from one place to another? Mamookho I have not seen how they transfer them because they have not done it before, here. Haven’t you experienced such a thing in your life, whereby a grave is said to be transferred? No.
	Will that be your first experience? It will be our first time to see such a thing.
	That it happens? Yes.
	What are your feelings about your dead ones who were buried a long time ago, and resting in peace, now being moved to another place, as they are now gods. We shall be satisfied, to see our graves brought to us rather than letting them get in the water.
	Are you sure that every part of your gods will be moved, no single part will be left behind, because you don’t understand the process? We believe they will dig deep down, so that everything is taken. I haven’t seen it done but they say they dig deeply when the transfer the grave.
	They take the whole thing? Yes.
	Will you find the graveyard already there where you are going? There is no village without such a site?
	What is the idea behind transference of graves? Is any thing going to happen as the process is carried on, especially when it is connected with the dead. It is then that we shall see when the first graves are transferred. It will be our first time to see it happen.
	Didn’t you ask them? They say they take the graves as they are and take care of all the feasts themselves.
	Are there feasts that will follow? Yes they make feasts. According to our tradition, when a corpse is taken to the grave there is always a ceremony. So that is what they are going to do.
	How do they do it? I don’t know how they do it.
	But you say in Lesotho when the soil is taken back to the grave there is usually a feast. Now how is that feast proceeded? Well, he will be buried like any dead person, that is the usual procedure of burying the dead is followed - the cow will be slaughtered, the grave will be dug, people will gather the same way they do when there is a burial ceremony, some other kind of food will be prepared including home brewed beer and the corpse will be taken to the grave.
Section 24	I want to know how this will be carried out as the graves are not belonging to one family? I don’t know whether they will transfer the graves in one day or whether they will do it in different days.
	I still don’t understand how this is going to be done as the graves belong to different families.Really I also don’t know, it is then that we shall see how they do it. It may happen that all families in the village have graves, according to your opinion, how do you think they will carry out their ceremonies?Maybe they will do it in different days according to different families. You mean a feast for each family per day?I should think so, like I said I have never seen it happen, I am not quite sure of what is going to happen? I understand you don’t know this, because you have never seen it happen, but I just want you and me to think about it, and find out how it is going to be done as we know that, each family may have more than one grave for which a cow is needed for funeral service. So do you think a cow is going to be slaughtered for each?Yes. The family itself has many graves, do you think there is going to be a cow for each dead person in a family?I think there will be a cow for each one. Moreover, I think there will be a thorough explanation as to how such ceremonies are carried on according to Basotho culture.Yes. They will list all the things that must be done.Yes, a thorough explanation of Basotho culture is needed. Did you say you were satisfied to be moved from your village to another, only because you will be built houses?Yes. Now that you are leaving this river which is very helpful to you, what is your opinion?Whether I have an opinion or not, it is useless because we have to go away.
	You said LHDA is keeping on promising you this and that, what are you going to do, if they do not keep their promises?As we are many, we shall sit down and look into the matter, advise each other and take our case to the chief, who will also take it to different committees which work together with LHDA, the committee will also take the matter to other superior bodies. We don’t exactly know what we shall do. So you will cross the river when you come to it?Yes. There is something I didn’t understand when you were talking about the development which will be brought to you when you get to your new village. Will you pay for the classes you will attend?We are not going to say. Is it free education?As they say it will be free. Whose material will you be using in classes?It belongs to LHDA.
Section 25	So you just get everything freely?Yes. How long will it take? Is it going to be in levels?I don’t know the period of time it will take, but it is clear that it is going to be a school. As you say, it is going to work in turns, so that everybody has her turn like any other school, so that all people get chance and then be educated. Yes you are right, because not only one or two people have been moved from their village, but many of us.
	What are you going to do with the education you shall have got? I will buy myself materials, make garments and sell them, I will be self-employed.
	How are you going to buy them as you said you and your husband are not working? I will be employed to teach others when I have learned and acquired skills.
	Are you going to apply for job? Yes.
	Where are you going to be employed? Anywhere, even LHDA may employ me.
	Do you understand that you will be applying for job? Yes.
	I see. Now let’s come to the issue of farming. Have you planted something in your fields now? Yes. What have you planted?Wheat and maize. How are they? Do you think you will get a required harvest?Because of drought, I don’t think we shall have good harvest. Oh yes madam.Like usual, it seems we are going to starve because of this drought for many fields were not ploughed.
Section 26	What about vegetable gardens?Some gardens have also not been ploughed. Do we plough knowing that there will be drought or not?We never know, but ever since it was dry in the fields so the animals would not make it. What happens with animals?When it is too dry, animals die because of the heavy work they do. You mean, because of dryness in the ground, animals pull the plough very hard so that they plough?But there are still some fields which have been poorly ploughed and the crops die of the drought, and that is God’s happiness, we cannot accuse anybody. Which crops stand the difficulties here? I mean those that you get at least something even in times of drought or things like that?Our crops are: wheat, maize and peas. Is that all?Yes, they are our major crops.