Seho Se Llile

Mohapeloa wrote ‘Seho se Llile’ in the 1940s, publishing it in Morija in 1947 as the first of 28 songs in Meloli le Lithallere tsa Afrika ka J.P. Mohapeloa: Buka ea Boraro (African Songs and Extemporary Harmonizations by J.P. Mohapeloa: Book III). Mohapeloa continued numbering songs in Meloli III from where his previous book, Meloli II ended; thus Seho se Llile is song No. 65 in Meloli III, not No. 1. Like so many songs in this third volume, collected together and published in 1947 after World War II, ‘Seho se Llile’ resonates with ideas of global historic change and the future of Lesotho as an nation state. It reminds us that Basutoland sent troops to fight during WWII, largely in support roles, to defeat the enemies of its colonial master, Britain: to help defend Britain in other words. This experience only fuelled Basutoland’s readiness to fight for its own right to independence.