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Item Strategic communication for employee engagement(International Journal of Research, 2023-11-06) Letlatsa, RelebohileThe researcher has observed that employees at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Southern Africa are aware of the importance of strategic planning, hence the formulation of strategic plans, but the concern arises at the implementation thereof. Therefore, the paper assesses the extent to which HEIs in Southern Africa utilise strategic communication for engagement of employees for implementation of their institutional strategy. Purposive sampling was used to identify HEIs in Southern Africa. In addition to this, an exploratory research design was used to establish if the strategic plan existed in each institution, and to find out strategies used to implement the strategic plan. The researcher used the explorative study because of the curiosity and desire to understand the influence strategic communication has on the implementation of the strategy. Strategic plans for the HEIs under study were assessed in order to find out if they indicate engagement of the employees and whether there are particular strategic measures proposed to solicit input of the employees in both the development and implementation of the strategic plan. Strategic plans were analysed to assess the degree to which strategies are implemented in the institutions. The study not only indicates the drivers, best practices and lessons of a communication strategy, but also suggests that when the organisation takes a strategic approach to communication, communication becomes integral to the formulation and implementation of strategy. It further suggests best ways to implement strategic plan using a communication strategyItem Poetry as a strategy in courting(ORCID, 2018) Thetso, Madira; Kolobe, MabolebaThe aim of this article is to examine the oral Sesotho poem that was used by Basotho boys as a courting strategy. In most African societies, including Sesotho society, boys used to adopt several approaches to propose love to girls. They would perform heroic actions to attract girls, engage in traditional songs and dances in which they would choose potential partners, or recite poems to the girls to express their feelings. While the former were performed in public, there would not be any audience for the latter. In Sesotho, there was one communal poem that was used by boys to propose love. Using textual analysis, the article sets out to explore this popular Sesotho poem by an anonymous poet to understand the language used in it and to interpret the meaning expressed with the chosen diction. The findings reveal the uniqueness and richness of language attained through the use of metaphors in which the poet uses concrete objects to express his abstract feelings. He identifies himself with the four important objects in the daily lives of the Basotho. Through the use of metaphor, the speaker portrays his character as well as the persona of the wife he anticipates as a suitable life partner.Item The use of Sesotho language in comminicating public health issues related to the aids pandemic in Lesotho(2018) Kolobe, Maboleba; Muringani, BerthaHealth is one of the fundamental needs of human beings. As a result, it is important for ministries of health and other relevant authorities to effectively communicate health information to everyone in their nation in the local language. But the question is: How effective is the use of local languages in communicating health issues such as AIDS? This study takes a closer look at the use of Sesotho to communicate AIDS information to Basotho in Lesotho. The focus of the study is the communicative strategies employed by this speech community. To achieve this, a thematic content analysis of corpus collected from music, mass media, theatre for development and others such as public speaking is done. An analysis of the Sesotho speech community is made to find out communication patterns used in the coverage of the AIDS pandemic. The study reveals that Sesotho speech community employs various communicative strategies to conscientize Basotho on this pandemic. This study therefore, proposes a more intense approach to fighting AIDS especially by using local languages to reach everyone.Item An investigation of negative representation in media(Journal of Linquistics and Language in Education, 2014) Halahala, Mokhoele AThe aim of this paper was to investigate negative representation of the National University of Lesotho (henceforth NUL) by the Scrutator in the weekly newspaper, the Lesotho Times. With a view that negative representation is a form of the media framing which seems to be increasingly taking up different dimensions worthy of attention for further conceptual understanding, we set out to examine the phenomenon. We set out with an assumption that the findings of the study would shed light on media operation, in general, and also help the media audiences observe how one of the local print media houses, the Lesotho Times, represents certain groups of Basotho society. The concept of negative representation is probably one of the phenomena which have drawn much attention from scholars of different disciplines within the social sciences, linguistics and communication studies. Adopting Content Analysis as a research instrument in selected issues of the Lesotho Times from 2010 to 2011, we investigated the Scrutator‘s negative representation of the NUL community in this particular newspaper. We, therefore, observe that negative representation is a perspectival projection of the newspaper; it is probably a strategic tool of manipulating people and making them develop a certain attitude towards the University as well as the University community despite its role as a leading tertiary institution in the Kingdom of Lesotho.Item Lexico-semantic analysis of names and slogans of Lesotho newspapers(NISC, 2019) Kolobe, MabolebaThis article examines the naming of Sesotho and English newspapers published in Lesotho. It looks at the rationale behind names given to these newspapers. In cognisance of newspaper names as proper names, the article analyses the lexico-semantics of these names. It extends the analysis to the relationship between the name and slogan of the paper that is usually appended next to the name of such a newspaper within the framework of a hermeneutic content analysis. The article purposively sampled 21 newspaper names, with slogans appended to them, from the National University of Lesotho library archives. The findings revealed that newspaper names and their slogans are strategically chosen to become ambassadors of such newspapers through meanings embedded in their condensed form, which is a point that qualifies newspaper language as an interesting linguistic area for researchItem Language use by tertiary students(Center of Language and Cultural Studies, Surakarta, Indonesia, 2019-09-10) Kolobe, Maboleba; Thetso, MadiraThis study interrogates the use of language by students at tertiary. It focuses on students’ interactions with one another outside classroom setting. The study hypothesizes that the language used by university students display richness and yet complexity of human language. In focus groups, third year students were requested to give words which according to them have acquired new meanings on campus as compared to their common use anywhere else. Thus, such words should be believed to have their ‘campus’ meaning versus their ‘home’ meaning on the basis that their campus meanings might only be understood amongst university students while at the same time would be given a different meaning when used outside the university. Content analysis was done drawing on the underpinnings of communicative competence and componential theory of creativity frameworks. Data yielded significant patterns of language use including polysemy, among tertiary students; therefore, the study concludes that students’ exploitation of language is attributive of their communicative competence and creativity.Item Report on institutions' constraints and successes of French language education in Lesotho(European Journal of Foreign language Teaching, 2018) Mokhele, Itumeleng RethabileThe aim of the baseline study is to find perspectives of various institutions involved in the teaching of French language in Lesotho. The student-teachers from the National University of Lesotho who specialise in French language education failed to implement the teaching methods that they acquired theoretically during their internship program in various local schools which offer French language. They indicated that in-service teachers did not let them use the communicative approach to teach French language. As the study is interested in institutional constraints and successes of French language in various institutions, qualitative methodology was used because it allows the researcher to have the personal contact [sic] and insight , getting close to the people , the situation and the phenomenon under study (Sarantakos, 1998:47). Focus Group Discussion comprising of eight participants was used as the data collection tool while the stakeholder theory constituted the theoretical framework for the study. Findings show that all the participating institutions experienced both successes and challenges even though the latter outweighed the former. It is concluded that challenges in one institution affect operations in another in various ways hence it is recommended that stakeholders meet regularly to review their progress in relation to solutions envisaged by this study.Item Integration of the French language teacher-trainees experiences of the teaching practice into the course quality enhancement at one university in Lesotho(International Knowledge Sharing Platform, 2019-05-31) Mokhele, Itumeleng RethabileThe study focuses on integrating student-teachers’ experiences of the teaching practice into the quality enhancement of the course on Curriculum and Teaching of French language at a university in Lesotho. It was noticed during the lesson observations that students’ teachers who have registered for the course struggled to apply teaching methods learnt theoretically in practice. This called for immediate intervention in the form of research undertaking as the situation impacted on the quality of the course. Hence the investigation centres on “how does the integration of teacher -trainees’ experiences of the teaching practice improve the quality of the course on curriculum and teaching of French language at the university?” was conducted. The nature of the study called for both qualitative and quantitative data, hence mixed methods approach is used. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection because the study sought both experiences, opinions on how the course could be improved as well as the aggregation of some responses. Fourth year students undertaking the course on curriculum and teaching of French language during the 2016/2017 academic year constituted the population for the case under study. Findings indicate that most student-teachers of French language found the teaching practice to be challenging. In conclusion the study shows that integrating student teachers’ experiences of the teaching practice can contribute to the quality enhancement of the course under investigation.Item The didactic unit in the elaboration of teaching contents(University Yahia Fares Medea, 2022-06) Mokhele, Itumeleng RethabileThis article seeks to interrogate the use of the instructional unit as a teaching resource in resource-poor secondary schools. A qualitative approach was used to conduct this study. A semi-open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data from 10 teachers who participated in the study. The theory of change was adopted for this study because some of the accompanying teachers resisted the use of the didactic unit by the French as a Foreign Language trainees during their teaching practice. The results indicate that most of these teachers do not know the notion of the didactic unit. Thus, they do not use it in their courses. By its functions and steps that can be applied in any country, this study reveals that it can function as a pedagogical resource in institutions that lack pedagogical resources through authentic documents. In conclusion, teachers of French as a foreign language in secondary schools in Lesotho need training and motivation to accept that the field of French language teaching is evolving and this requires flexibility to be open to new things brought by the trainees.Item Diversity, Inclusivity, Social Responsibility Aspects, and Outcomes of a Mobile Digital Library and Information Service Model for a Developing Country: The Case for Lesotho(2020) Moshoeshoe-Chadzingwa, M.M.The provision of library services through rigid compartmentalisation of academic, public, school, and special libraries operating in one country can be cost-effective if a country has strong socioeconomic, cultural, educational, and political structures. This arrangement is apparently a fallacy for countries that lack such structures, as is the case with Lesotho. This study examined the outcomes and the impact of the UNESCO-funded project titled Distance and Rural LearnerTeacher Support through a Mobile Digital Library (DRULETSMODIL) in Lesotho. The National University of Lesotho (NUL) Library proposed DRULETSMODIL whose objective was to reach out to NUL’s de jure distant teachers and learners. Additionally, the project expanded its scope to include library services to rural and poor communities. This paper outlines how use of the descriptive method, called the corporate social responsibility (CSR) principle, utilised the case study approach to interrogate DRULETSMODIL’s performance. The findings reveal that the project embodied various levels of diversity, inclusivity, and (mainly) social responsibility aspects of providing information for free, to the marginalized communities. From DRULETSMODIL’s three phases covering all the ten districts of Lesotho, positive outcomes were recorded. Through Information, Communication, and Technology apparatuses, DRULETSMODIL’s offerings, and the support of Participatory Initiative for Social Accountability (PISA), diverse information was easily and cost-effectively accessible. The project attracted various partners; beneficiaries included academic library users, secondary schools, and male and female youth and adults in the villages. The study recommends advocacy on CSR for all types of businesses and consideration of this model for developing countries.Item Investigation of Problems of Sesotho Oral Reading Fluency in Primary and Post-Primary Schools in Lesotho(2019-04-04) Phafoli and Thamae, Lehlohonolo and GeorgeThe research on the Investigation of Problems of Sesotho Oral Reading Fluency in Primary and Post-Primary Schools in Lesotho is a joint venture between by Dr. Lehlohonolo Phafoli –Principal Researcher Faculty of Humanities and Dr. George Thamae – Co-researcher Faculty of Education from the National University of Lesotho. The researchers first approached the Ministry of Education for permission and its assistance with regard to the research. They were further asked to help identify schools in each district which could be listed for interviews. Criterion for the selection of schools was as follows; best performing schools in Sesotho and those that do not do well in Sesotho. Assistance from ECOL was also sought on the Sesotho performance in schools. ECOL provided researchers with results for 2015 to 2017 from Standard 7, Junior Certificate and Cambridge Overseas School Certificate. Six research assistants were identified and afforded a one day workshop in relation to the logistics of the interviews and oral reading tests. Research assistants were trained on the following; testing Sesotho oral reading fluency through passages, number of words read correctly per minute, conducting oral interviews from both teachers and students in schools, punctuality and social approaches when conducting a research. The activities related to the actual business were done through pre-arranged appointments which were followed by visiting primary and high schools in the lowlands and rural areas. In each district interviews were conducted in two primary schools and two high schools in this manner; one primary in lowlands and one primary in rural area, and one high school in lowlands and one high school in rural area. The team visited 39 schools and managed to interview 39 teachers and 164 students from the ten districts in Lesotho. The interviews were later compiled per districts and classified according to the two levels primary and high schools. They were further grouped based on the rural and lowlands, and the analysis also focused on the gender aspect, that is, the performance based on the female and male students at different levels. The compiled information was edited and followed by type-setting for public consumption and currently stored in both the soft and hardcopy. With regard to accountability, the Principal Researcher made regular financial accounting of activities done that enabled the release of funds on a regular basis until the last cent. In conclusion, it could be said that the exercise was a success. The hardcopies have been spiralled in a form of booklet for further proof-reading and production of final copy. The main obstacle was that the funds dried up before further activities could be completed. It is hoped that the final product will be received by most of the stakeholders through internet by the National University of Lesotho Library.Item State intervention to revive foreign international languages in Lesotho(Journal of Humanities, 2013) Thamae, C. G.Item Healing, Counselling and Anti-Retroviral Therapy(In the Name of Jesus: Healing in the Age of HIV, 2013) Leshota, P. L.Item Taboos in the Upbringing of a Mosotho Child(Journal for Folklore Studies, 2014) Thetso, M.; Qhala, T.Item Narratives of Personal Experiences: the Construction of Identity in Basotho Accordion Songs(South African Journal of African Languages, 2014) Phafoli, Lehlohonolo; Zulu, N. S.This article analyses accordion songs of the Basotho people as small narratives of self-identity. The songs are constructions of the way the singers think of and experience themselves as Basotho, of their home country, Lesotho. They communicate this message to their listeners. The focus of the constructed self includes parentage and ancestry, clan totems and chiefs, social conditions, places where the artists were born and grew up, marriage problems, and experiences as migrant labourers in South Africa. These songs foster individual, national and collective identity in Lesotho. It is observed that in all the narratives, the singers tell about their associations and social relationships relating to shared locations, language and culture.Item The Informal Sector and Human Capacity Building for Sustainable Development(Scholarlink Resource Centre, 2014) Mots'oene, K. A.The paper argues that with the increasing urbanization and unemployment in Maseru, the proliferation of the informal sector is visible acrossthe city, but it only serves to mitigate the severity of poverty in poor households by enabling them to meet survival needs ratherthan inducing savings that canbe translated into human capacity building through education and skills. It is through savings that people can be able to finance their development in terms of acquiring knowledge and skills critical to their wherewithal in society. The paper analyses the intricate nexus between the informal sector and human capacity building and sustainable development in Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho. The paper addresses this missing link in the literature, at the same time showing how important the informal sector can be in improving people�s lives through capacity building and eventually lead to sustainable development. Communities of Thibella, Motimposo and Sekamaneng formed the sample in this study where 120 poor households which participated in the informal sector were interviewed.The paper therefore exposes the intrinsic problems of the informal sector in Maseru for failing to make realizable changes in the lives of the urban poor population which often participates in the sectorItem Reading the Draft National Disability & Rehabilitation Policy in the light of Foucault�s notion of Governmentality(African Journal of Disability, 2013) Leshota, P. L.In the area of disability studies, models have been at the centre of debates, influencing social policies, practices and legal frameworks. The former Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in the Kingdom of Lesotho was not an exception. In its efforts to tackle issues of disability, it produced The National Disability and Rehabilitation Policy: Mainstreaming persons with disabilities into society in 2011. This policy document is rooted in the social model and seeks to address long-standing problems and challenges of people with disabilities in the Kingdom. Using ideas from Foucault, particularly the technologies and regimes of power, which work through language and practice, this article examined ways in which people with disabilities are constituted through state knowledge and government policies, and concluded that these constructions form the basis for alienation and marginalisation in society.Item Urbanization and Aging : The Survival of the Aged in an Urbanizing City, Maseru, Lesotho(Scholarlink Resource Centre, 2014) Mots'oene, K. A.The paper analyzes the elderly survival strategies in an increasingly urbanizing city of Maseru in the period 2009-2012 using the household survey conducted on poor elderly in the three urban communities of Thibella, Sekamaneng and Motimposo. It seeks to understand the impact of rapid urban growth of Maseru on the elderly and the possible range of responses to this change and poverty The analysis shows that the elderly people living in poverty have devised means of survival while a few increasingly depend on social welfare grant provided by the government to cope with poverty. Despite this good effort, more than 50 percent of the population still lives in poverty. The burden of caring for orphans particularly in female elderly headed households exposes them to more poverty. Lifting the elderly group out of poverty will require a continued growth based policy and further expansion of social services. This paper serves as a basis for policy review so that the needs of the elderly are fully addressed. Furthermore, the paper seeks to fill the existing gap in the literature on the elderly survival in Lesotho as no studies have yet been done. The paper is composed of four sections. First, it introduces urban growth and features of poverty in the context of the developing world including Lesotho. Second, it deals with the general perspectives on urbanization and its impact on the elderly in Africa. Third, it discusses the observed repercussions of urbanization on the elderly living in Maseru and their coping strategies. The fourth section presents the conclusion and suggested ways of improving the lives of the elderly living in Maseru. The paper considers the elderly as people who are aged 60 and above.Item Lessons on Old Age Pensions as Welfare Investment for Sustainable Development(Scholarlink Resource Centre, 2014) Daemane, M. M. M.; Mots'oene, K. A.This article argues within the context of alternative pragmatic developmental perspective that while known for a fact that higher income reduces the number of the absolutely poor and raises living levels, self-esteem, freedom and non- dependence on aid, old age pension amount currently given in Lesotho is observably too low to effect realizable sustainable development. Equity in income distribution when looking at the inflation, other allowances to other sectors of the population especially the politicians in the institutions of ruling, is still a far fetched idea. Supplementary and complementary poverty-focused policies and strategies beside pension for the aged to acquire uplifted levels of living encompassing sufficient life sustaining goods, adequate health, quality education or advanced life-sustaining/productive skills and adequate access to social services are still needed in Lesotho. The low pension income (R450) must effectually be replaced by increased real income, that is, with real purchasing power and not only nominal value, as is now the case, in order to reduce poor health and low nutrition. Furthermore, induce saving, labour saving technology acquisition, high investment propensity, jobs creation, population or fertility control, thus low dependency ratio and increased freedom and ability in material gain, choice making, trading and non-dependence on aid.Item Postcolonial Reading of Nineteenth Century Missionaries Musical Texts: The Case of Lifela tsa Sione and Lifela tsa Bakriste(International Journal of Black Theology, 2014) Leshota, P. L.Using the refining optics of postcolonial hermeneutics, this paper is an attempt to show how missionary legacies, in the form of musical texts, have been and remain a talisman of imperialistic endeavors. They reflect, as it were, the superiority of the colonizing culture and religion while at the same time demonizing and promoting negative stereotypes about Africans (Mosotho) and their world. Specifically, this paper represents a reconstruction of the image of a colonial African (Mosotho) savage as depicted by the missionaries in their musical texts as contained in the Lifela tsa Sione and Lifela tsa Bakriste, in order to justify the necessity of Christianity as a superior form of life. The flipside of this reconstructive endeavor is the creation of space for the emergence of a voice that had been drowned out by Eurocentricideological hegemony. The release of this voice provides an opportunity to re-label and re-define a Mosotho Christian�s identity through word and song.