Power to the women!

Women of colour are women who are of a race other than white or of a mixed race. Back in the days black women who contributed and broke their backs to sustain different fields would go without recognition.

This is still the case in some parts of the world. I know we are three weeks into the women’s month but I wish to take this chance to celebrate and honour our own black females who managed to break records and never conformed to societal pressures that have for years set certain places for women.

Lesotho, during the colonial period, was graced with its very first and only female ruler. ‘M’e ‘Mantšebo Amelia Matšaba, famously known as the Paramount Chieftainess ‘Mantšebo was the first of the three wives of Chief Simon Seeiso Griffith of the Basutoland, present-day Lesotho.

Her regency however did not come at a cheap price as patriarchy still played a bigger role among Basotho back then.

After being voted and recognised as regent when her husband died, Bereng Griffith, her late husband’s half-brother whom she beat in the elections sued in the High Court and his strong argument was that traditional law and custom prevented women from functioning as chiefs.

He and a couple of his patriarchal fellows after losing the case still failed to recognise a whole woman as their leader.

But besides the challenges she faced, the Paramount Chieftainess during her 19 plus years of regency managed to lay a foundation for the current monarchy of Lesotho.

She was also made officer of the order of the British Empire in the 1946 Birthday Honours in recognition of the war effort of the Basuto nation.

Because of the likes of this strong woman who knew her stand in life and pushed boundaries to change certain norms that defined Basotho as Basotho back then, today we have more female chiefs and some are representing their people in the Senate.

My research on this legend was inspired by Machobane and Karschay who were introduced to me in my second year of studies at the National University of Lesotho by the first ever woman to pose a threat to my BA Degree of Arts in Humanities.

Talking of a Bachelor’s Degree, we have ‘M’e Masechele Caroline Khaketla who is the first recorded Mosotho to ever gain a junior certificate, the first to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, the first to be appointed an assessor of the High Court and the first to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the National University of Lesotho.

Talk about paving the way for generations that would come after you.

Off topic a little. How would you like to be remembered as a woman? What do you aspire to achieve that will make you legendary, worth celebrating? What name are you creating for yourself?

What are you doing with your life that will make people want to read and know more about you?

‘M’e Masechele was not only the first recorded Mosotho female to ever reach this milestone but she was also a writer. Among her list of works are ‘Mantsopa le Molamu oa kotjane, Mosiuoa Masilo, Ka u lotha, Maoelana a hlompho and seven other published works.

I dare you not to even claim you have got a great taste of books if you’ve never indulged in Mosiuoa Masilo because this legend cooked magic in that book.

Her hard work and determination awarded her the Iketsetseng Primary School, present-day Iketsetseng Community English Medium School which she unfortunately lost control over after being able to accommodate over 1000 students in 1988.

How many of you would have achieved everything she achieved if you tried walking in her shoes? This woman opened the way for many women and not enough words can honour her for breaking records women her age back then were able to.

These women rose to the top and accomplished great things. They overcame gender biases to create a name for themselves, and contributed to great causes. They have also been of great influence to many.

A couple of years ago ‘M’e Delakazi Mokebe, but I think Ausi suits her better because she’s just so young yet she’s accomplished so much at an early age. Well ‘M’e Mokebe was recorded as the first Mosotho female to lead a commercial bank in Lesotho.

I hope you see how possible it is to break records if you show some sense of dedication and put enough effort in what you do. ‘M’e Mokebe, the seasoned banker, was born and bred in Lesotho. She acquired her first degree in Bcom from Wits University and when she joined FNB in 2017 she had already bagged her Master’s in Business Leadership Degree from the University of South Africa.

Besides achieving the rank of CEO of the First National Bank she has also been able to develop a talented pool of professionals where she unleashed individual talents.

These aren’t the only women worth celebrating this women’s month. There are so many women out there who created a name for themselves but I’d take forever if I dared tried to mention them all or a few that I know.

The likes of ‘M’e Matumelo Ramoqopo (the first female brigadier), ’M’e Malejaka Letooana (the first female commissioner), Advocate Kuena Thabane (the first female prosecutor), ‘M’e Lieketseng Ntakatsane (the first Mosotho woman to ever lead a political party, Kopanang Basotho Party) and a lot others.

They are just so many it would take forever.

The short message I will like to leave for women, myself included, who aspire to be a somebody recognised and worth celebrating in different walks of life is: there’s a ladder and on top of it lies not only a well that never goes dry but powerful seats where big decisions are made.

It’s up to each one of us to decide whether we want to stay at the bottom of the ladder or climb its stairs until we make it to the top.

But only hard work, determination and willingness will take us there. Let not your gender decide where your place is. Let not gender biases make you believe that you do not have a man’s strength to climb the ladder. And let not any traditional norms decide which role better suits your gender. Power to women who are working hard to make a positive impact in this life.

Bokang Masasa