Rethabile Pitso
TWO of Lesotho’s former prime ministers stood united not by politics but by grief as they gathered to bid farewell to Toka Thomas Thabane, the late son of former Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas Thabane.
Mr Thabane was supported by his long-time political rival and fellow former prime minister, Pakalitha Mosisili, with the two seated side by side throughout the funeral proceedings. They were frequently seen whispering to one another, a quiet display of solidarity that stood in stark contrast to their years of political rivalry. Mr Mosisili was accompanied by his wife and former First Lady, ’Mathato Mosisili.
Messrs Thabane and Mosisili became political adversaries in 2006 when Mr Thabane broke away from the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), then led by Mr Mosisili, to form the All Basotho Convention (ABC). Even after Mr Mosisili left the LCD in 2012 to establish the Democratic Congress (DC), the rivalry endured, with the two men leading the country’s most dominant and closely followed political parties at the time. Prior to their fallout, both had served together in the Basotho Congress Party (BCP) and later in the LCD.
Toka Thabane was laid to rest on Friday at Makhoakhoeng in Maseru, his family’s hometown.
Better known by his stage name DJ Jazzy Tea, Toka was a renowned disc jockey and musician in Lesotho’s entertainment industry. At the height of his career, he released several popular tracks, including Soare, and mentored many of today’s entertainers such as Molibeli ‘Stlofa’ Mokake, Limpho ‘Majisto’ Makhetha, Tumane Thabane, and Selimo Thabane, among others.
Peers in the music industry described him as a staunch patriot of home-grown music and a dedicated DJ who remained passionate about his craft until the end.
DJ Jazzy Tea died last week at the age of 62 after a short illness. He is survived by his wife, three children, a brother, two sisters, and his father.
Speaking at the funeral, his younger sister, Justice ’Mabatšoeneng Hlaele (née Nkoya Thabane), described him as a joyful soul whose love for music was nurtured early in life by their father.
“Our father (Thabane) had a passion for each one of his children. With Potlako, he cultivated a love for reading. With my sister Pulane, it was soap operas — they used to watch shows like Dallas together. With Toka, it was music, and with me, it was a combination of all those things,” Justice Hlaele said.
She recalled that from the time Toka began crawling, their father introduced him to jazz music.
“They would sit together listening to what I then thought was very strange music. In the 1980s, my father supported my brother’s music career because he himself was an artist at heart. A friend once sent me pictures of my father playing in a university band, and I realised he may have wanted Toka to succeed where he had not.”
Justice Hlaele added that her brother’s refined etiquette, shaped by their upbringing, set him apart from many others.
“He inherited perfectionism from our mother. He did everything with passion — whether eating or playing music. People who did not know him sometimes misunderstood him because of his meticulous nature. If he heard a DJ perform poorly, he would take it personally and make it his mission to mentor and improve that person,” she said.
Addressing mourners, Mr Mosisili spoke emotionally about the pain of burying one’s child.
“Bro Tom, it seems this painful habit of losing our children is beginning to haunt us. It reminds me of the ‘last in, first out’ principle once used in the mines during retrenchments.
“Older employees were retained because letting them go was costly. Today, it feels as though death is doing the opposite — taking the young first,” Mr Mosisili said.
Mr Mosisili also shared a personal memory of his late son Rethabile Mosisili, recalling how a song by the ABC stirred emotions for his family.
“’M’e ’Mathato and I were moved to tears when the song Qhobosheane was played earlier. It reminded us of our son, Rethabile, who passed away two years ago.
“He loved that song with all his heart, much to my annoyance. I often wondered how a child could be so deeply attached to a song by Toala (ABC),” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
“Over time, however, we came to love that song just as much as he did, because it reminds us of him,” he said.
He further revealed that last week he and ’M’e ’Mathato travelled to Qacha, their home area, to commemorate the deaths of their sons, Rethabile and Maile Mosisili.
“Rethabile left us only two years ago, while his brother Maile passed away 24 years ago. During the commemoration, we recalled Rethabile’s favourite song, and when it played, we all remembered how he would burst into dance as he sang along,” he said.
Mr Mosisili concluded by reciting a reflective message he encountered on social media.
“It says: When death comes, it takes the body. God takes the soul. The mind keeps the memories. The heart keeps the love, and faith tells us we shall meet again”.
“My message to you, Bro Tom, the Thabane family, and friends of Toka, is that it is not over. Hold on to that hope, that faith, and that prayer.”
He added that death only claims the body, while God lifts the soul.
“It is our belief and prayer that God has lifted Toka’s soul to the heavens. Please find comfort in that,” Mr Mosisili said.