MISA-Lesotho has learnt about the passing on of its Former National Director, Mr ‘Muso Thomas Mapesela. We therefore express our sincere condolences to the Mapesela Family, the MISA Family and the entire media fraternity. The passing of a media giant like Mr Mapesela is a great loss to the industry as it is deprived of the talent, skills, gifting and the contribution that Mr Mapesela made to the growth of the media industry. Indeed, his death is untimely.
Mr Mapesela joined the ranks of MISA-Lesotho in those hay days when it was still called the Media Institute of Lesotho (MILES). This was before MILES metamorphosed into the regional bloc, the Media Institute of Southern Africa as a Chapter. He started off as a Public Relations Officer and later, in 1996, he was promoted to become the National Director. This was at the time MILES was transitioning to become a Chapter of the regional MISA.
We are reliably informed, and records speak for themselves that during Mr Mapesela’s reign as the National Director, MISA-Lesotho was viable in all what it was doing. It made the necessary strides to advance the cause of media freedom, freedom of speech, media pluralism and media diversity. This is the Institute’s mandate to its membership. His stewardship bears testimony that he steered the ship, MISA-Lesotho into exponential growth and sustainability.
We, the current office bearers in MISA-Lesotho will ensure that the legacy left by Mr Mapesela lives on! As he is being remembered like other giants who have departed the contributions he has made to the fraternity still echo across the whole industry.
MISA-Lesotho’s board of governors, management, staff and the entire membership are saddened and remain distraught by the passing of one of our own. However, we will continue to celebrate the legacy that he has left and try to emulate the good deeds for which he was famous.
May his soul rest in peace!
