’Maesaiah Trust Fund shelters destitute man

LEROOTHO LETSATSI

QACHA’S NEK – Lehlohonolo Tsekela, a 63-year-old man from Ha-Rakatibana in the Qacha’s Nek district’s Lebakeng constituency, is the latest beneficiary of assistance from Frist Lady ’Maesaiah Thabane’s Trust Fund, which has donated to him a newly-built and furnished two-roomed flat after living in the wilderness for over two years.

The handover last week Friday, was graced by the presence of the First Lady, her spouse Prime Minister Thomas Thabane and Deputy Commander Lesotho Defence Force Major-General Matela Matobakele, accompanied by army personnel who helped build the house from scratch.

Before Tsekela received the gift, he had been living in caves for a couple of years after his houses were repeatedly burnt mysteriously on different occasions.

From 2017, each time his house burnt down, Tsekela would build a new one only for it to be destroyed in yet another mysterious fire, leading to fellow villagers believing the chain of tragedies was the work of witchcraft known locally as “fotha”.

His flock of sheep, estimated at 200, was also depleted by thefts and he experienced another loss when his son and grandson also died mysteriously.

Tsekela consequently resorted to moving out of his village to live in caves far from his own home, having taken his wife to his brother-in-law’s home in the Tsoelike constituency also in Qacha’s Nek.

In order to start afresh, Tsekela permanently migrated far away from his native village, moving to the Ha-Matlali local council where the local chief gave him a new plot on which the Trust Fund built the house.

Tsekela was miserable until fellow villagers felt pity for him and took the initiative to write to the ’Maesaiah Thabane Trust Fund seeking assistance, which came in the form of the fully-furnished structure.