This is the mountain fortress of King
Moshoeshoe I, the first Basotho King and founder. This mountain is in the
district of Maseru, about 20-30km from the center city. Thaba-Bosiu is not in
the highlands parts of the country but in the lowlands. One of the most famous
Mosotho poet and musician, Dr. Joshua Pulumo Mohapeloa (RIP) when talking about
this mountain he says:
Re rola likatiba ha re boha
Thaba-Bosiu, thari’a Basotho,
Thaba ho ōtla chaba se fokola,
Ea se phutha-phuthela tjee ka katib’a kuoane.
Bohle re re ke hae, hae la rona;
Mona re tsoa teng bohle-bohle Basotho.
E ke e khabe, e apare botalana
Thaba-Bosiu e ke ea mehleng ea Thesele,
Eo malot’a mara a a fetotseng sechaba.
Thaba-sefika sa khotso eo Moshoesho’a reng:
‘Motse ho atleha, ho aha oa Morapeli
“Na u ka nketsa’ng?” che, ha e ahe motse’.
Hape ke seemahale
Sa Moshoeshoe le bo-Makoanyane
Natla tse loanetseng Lesotho hore re le rue.
Ke hona mona thabeng ena
Moo seli la tsebo’a Molimo
Ka mahlaseli le ileng la hlaba teng pele
Nĝalo ena ho rona ke e khethehileng;
Hoba mona ke moo Thesele oa Mokhachane
A robetseng, mothei oa chaba sena sa rōna.
Meaning that we take-off our hats
as with respect to Thaba-Bosiu, mother of Basotho. She (Thaba-Bosiu) cared and
protected our small nation. We all say that it is our home for here we all
Basotho cometh forth from. He even prays to God that this mountain wear
greenish, i.e. be full of life like in the times of Thesele (another name
of Moshoeshoe I). This, the poet continues, is a throne of PEACE which King
Moshoeshoe was known of to other nations. According to Dr. Mohapeloa
Thaba-Bosiu is also a monument of King Moshoeshoe and his warriors like
Makoanyane who fought for Lesotho that we own it today. It is also at this
mountain that the knowledge of God with its rays first reached, i.e.
missionaries arrived here first because they had to show up to the King before
they could carry on with their mission of evangelizing—to get permission to
work and to live among the Basotho. This place, for us Basotho is a very
outstanding one in importance and honour because Thesele of Mokhachane—our
founder—is sleeping (buried). This is how Dr. Mohapeloa looks at
Thaba-Bosiu.
Really, this place is good-looking
for everyone who would like to know about Basotho nation since it is where
their roots are. Things to see at this mountain of Basotho are different
types/kind of aloes on the mountain side and on top, different types of grasses
both on top and mountain side, a sand which used to work miracles on top of the
mountain, and most outstandingly, the tombs of Basotho Kings and warriors from
Moshoeshoe I, the founder of this nation. Neighbouring to this mountain is
Basotho is another honoured mountain called Qiloane which the Basotho
hat bears a resemblance to its form. But the whole area here there is called
Thaba-Bosiu after that mountain.
Down Thaba-Bosiu Mountain, there is a
lodge and some shops to help visitors to the place. There is also two missions
of the dominating church denominations in Lesotho, that is, the Catholic Church
and the Lesotho Evangelical Church.
Welcome to
thaba-bosiu!
Welcome home!!!