Guard of honour for tragic rugby players
NTHETHE MAPHAONG
MASERU – Five Mabote Beavers women rugby team players who died in a horrific road accident on the N8 near Bot’sabelo on Saturday were on Tuesday evening given a guard of honour when their bodies were repatriated home for burial.
The ladies were on their way to Bloemfontein for a friendly match against Mangaung Rugby Club when tragedy struck.
The deceased are Mamello Moseme, Keketso Ts’euoa, Mpho Macheli, Thato Mohai and Lerato Kelepa.
Ts’euoa, Macheli, Mohai, and Kelepa died instantly at the scene, while Moseme died the following day in hospital in Bloemfontein.
The bodies were fetched from Bloemfontein on Tuesday and were welcomed with a guard of honour at the Maseru Border Gate and were taken to Lesotho Funeral Services mortuary.
Minister of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation Dr Mahali Phamotse, Minister of Justice, Mokhele Moletsane and other government ministers were in the crowd that thronged the busy port of entry.
Other dignitaries included Police Commissioner Holomo Molibeli, Lesotho Football Association (LeFA) first Vice President Khiba Mohoanyane, Lesotho Sport and Recreation Commission (LSRC) Vice president Moipone Mashale and the president of the Federation of Lesotho Rugby (FLR) Fetang Selialia.
LSRC vice President Moipone Mashale said this tragedy had emotionally affected everyone at LSRC.
She said that the LSRC would cooperate with government to support affected families bury their loved ones with dignity.
“Truly speaking we are really affected by this kind of death, we do not have much words to say to the deceased families. This is a lesson to us that we should cooperate with our government in order to support the deceased families,” said Mashale in an interview with Public Eye yesterday.
“We had made much effort to gather young talented girls to participate in sports in order to promote women sports in the country but after this tragic accident we are now afraid that parents will not allow their children to participate in sports,” she concluded.
