Meutloa: The gory life behind the author

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MAKERESEMESE LETUKA

MASERU – “I have experienced gory things which no one believes are true stories…like me being a monkey,” says Lehlohonolo Mayeza. This actor in a Lesotho Television drama ‘Bophelo’ tells Life&Style he has experienced witchcraft from all angles, and that this is what inspired him to write.

He is the author of ‘Meutloa’ – most of whose stories he says are true. “My sister died due to witchcraft,” he adds, “What inspired me to write this book is my experience in life; I experienced scary things that no one could ever believe are the true. I was turned into a monkey and nobody believes that but people who were there know this. “Also, me surviving without parents at age of 10, till I made it to the university is another factor that motivated me,” he continues.

Meutloa is Lehlohonolo’s first book, and is based on true events that he went through his life and the lives of people close to him. The book carries 70 percent of real events, with 30 percent fictional creativity, according to the author. To be launched in September, ‘Meutloa’ is a compilation of Sesotho short stories which he plans to have translated into English.

He reveals he has plans to turn the book into a movie too, but explains that, “The reason I chose to write the book and not to do it as a movie is because movies are expensive and it will not contain those eight different stories in narrated in the book. The book has different stories…it is about witchcraft, love, disappointments, betrayal, survival, hope and religion.”

The movie would just tell one story, Lehlohonolo continues, and like I said not all the stories that appear in the book are going to be filmed, I am going to pick one, for one story can make a film of 90 minutes duration. “It is just to tell people that some things are real, they exist, they should be very careful how to handle some of these things in this life. “That there is true love, that it is not everyone who claims to love you and they mean it. Some are just African good stories, but above all life is full of challenges, it needs a person who does not give in,” he says.

Lehlohonolo was born and raised in the Thaba-Tseka district, and holds an Associate Degree in Film Production. He is an actor, and has featured in many films and commercial advert, such as the Central Bank of Lesotho money months advert, the Ministry of Health Covid-19. “I am a producer, a writer, a director, model or brand ambassador, sound designer, editor, content developer. I am also a make-up artist in as far as making films.”

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