Silent Scribbles

By Tholoana Lesenya MASERU-In a renewed push to bring long-overdue justice and compensation to former gold mineworkers, the Tshiamiso Trust has officially launched a nationwide outreach campaign in Lesotho. The initiative, running from July through August 2025, is expected to directly benefit thousands of Basotho who contracted silicosis or work-related tuberculosis (TB) while working in South Africas gold mines between 1965 and 2019. The campaign was formally unveiled in Maseru by the CEO of Tshiamiso Trust, Dr. Munyadziwa Kwinda, who emphasized the critical importance of reaching claimants in their own communities. This campaign is not just about paperwork, it is about restoring dignity and delivering justice to people who risked their health and lives for a livelihood, he said. The outreach will bring on-site claim lodgment services and Benefit Medical Examinations (BMEs) directly to former mineworkers across Lesotho. These BMEs are a vital step in the claims process, ensuring that ...

By Tholoana Lesenya MASERU- In a world where money matters are often concealed in anxiety and misinformation, Tokiso TKay Nthebe is the fresh voice transforming financial conversations into something practical, empowering, and uniquely African. An experienced financial advisor, educator, speaker, and content creator, TKay has become one of Lesothos most recognizable champions of financial literacy, driven by a mission that is deeply personal and culturally grounded. Born and raised in Mafeteng, and now based in Maseru, Tokiso Nthebes journey into finance did not begin with a classroom or a corporate desk, it began with a mistake. As a young professional entering the workforce, TKay found himself knotted in debt, managing a lifestyle beyond his means and savings that barely existed. Rather than hide this experience, he shared it. His first blog, which detailed his financial missteps and lessons learned, sparked something unexpected, people listened. They related, and more importantly, t...

By Tholoana Lesenya MASERU-In the heart of Maseru, where culture, fashion, and storytelling meet, Paballo Makatla stands at the forefront of a creative revolution. A multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, and the founder of Raw Creatives, Makatla is more than a content creator, she is a movement. With an aesthetic that challenges binaries and embraces the beauty of contrast, Makatla has become a defining figure in Lesothos growing visual arts scene. Her work navigates the fluid intersections of fashion, identity, and digital storytelling, resulting in compelling visual narratives that resonate both locally and across borders.  "I am very big on women empowerment in my industry, especially women taking leadership roles in the film and photography production. unfortunately my industry is a male dominated industry. And many young women don’t fully pursue in this industry especially in the tech department like cinematography or editing because it’s very rare to see women thriving, or ev...

 By Tholoana Lesenya MASERU-In the heart of Maseru's evolving creative scene, one name has become synonymous with daring self-expression, sharp cultural commentary, and fearless style: Lungile Matutoane. Born in the northern Lesotho district of Botha-Bothe, Lungile now stands as a fresh, authentic voice in the capital, combining fashion, podcasting, and digital storytelling into a singular, powerful presence. A Voice That Resonates: The Konnichiwassup Podcast At the center of Lungiles creative work is the Konnichiwassup Podcast, a YouTube-based platform that includes humor, lifestyle, and sharp cultural observations. Whether diving into youth culture, fashion, or identity politics, the show is a reflection of Lungile himself, curious, expressive, and always authentically Basotho. Unlike traditional interview shows, Konnichiwassup doesnt try to imitate international formats. Instead, it confidently celebrates the local context, giving voice to young artists, thinkers, and change-mak...

 By Tholoana Lesenya MASERU-Every June, we are invited to pause, reflect, and open up conversations that too often remain behind closed doors. Mens Mental Health Month is not just another awareness campaign, it is a movement to shine a light on a silent struggle faced by millions of men worldwide. In many cultures, including our own, men are taught from a young age to be strong, hold it in, and never show weakness. These messages become deeply rooted, forming a version of masculinity that often rejects vulnerability and emotional honesty. The result? Countless men carry the weight of anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress in silence. You will not always see it. It is in the man who always says Im fine even when he is not. In the father who never talks about how tired he is. In the teenager who laughs with his friends but lies awake at night, drowning in self-doubt. Globally, men are less likely than women to seek help for mental health issues, yet they are more likely to die by su...

 By Tholoana Lesenya MASERU-The Prime Minister (PM) Ntsokoane Matekane guaranteed execution of recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry on the escape of inmates report upon return from presentation to the Parliament. These, he said when accepting the report from the Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry on the escape of inmates, Justice Realeboha Mathaba at the State House on this week. The PM highlighted that he accredited the report and will study it before presenting it to Parliament, saying he will thereafter order the Minister of Law and Justice to implement its recommendations. Presenting the report, Justice Mathaba explained that the PM will be the one who unpacks the report to the public, saying the report was compiled without fear, favour or prejudice. He pointed out that the report involves executive summary with recommendations and is divided into four parts being safety at Maseru Central Correctional Institution (MCCI), escape of inmates, search exercise conduc...