How South Africa’s Famo music gave birth to Lesotho’s ‘terrorist’ gangs

Maseru, Lesotho – On a sunny afternoon, a achromatic minibus taxi carrying 22 passengers pulled retired of a crowded autobus presumption successful Johannesburg and headed to neighbouring Lesotho, the landlocked kingdom wrong South Africa’s borders.

The infinitesimal the minibus got connected the highway, the operator switched connected the vigor and the speakers crackled to beingness with the dependable of a solo accordion – the intro to a well-known Famo song.

“I could perceive to this euphony each day,” said 1 passenger, a young antheral successful bluish workman overalls, but worn stylishly to marque a manner connection alternatively of for concern use. Around him, galore different passengers, astir Lesotho nationals, bobbed their heads and sang on arsenic the drums and vocals connected the way kicked in.

Famo, a genre of euphony that blends accepted Southern African songs and Western instruments, archetypal emerged a period agone among migrant mining communities successful South Africa. The music, characterised by dense usage of the accordion fused with guitar picking from the maskandi style, a subgenre of Zulu people music, is greatly loved by galore Basotho.

But successful caller years, Famo has go notorious beyond creation halls and performance venues. Fierce rivalry betwixt immoderate fans and singers has caused deadly pack warfare successful Lesotho. Recently, the unit has exacerbated truthful overmuch that the authorities banned immoderate Famo groups and branded them “terrorist” organisations.

Now galore die-hard fans are incapable to ticker their favourite artists execute live. “I emotion Famo music,” says Thabelo, a taxi operator successful Maseru who we are not naming arsenic galore radical are present tense to talk publically astir the topic. “You cognize they person banned the shows now, truthful we tin lone play it successful our cars oregon successful the privateness of our homes.”

The ban, which went into effect successful May, named circumstantial Famo groups which the authorities called “unlawful by crushed of being progressive in, oregon promoting oregon encouraging subversive activities”. The prohibition extends to immoderate paraphernalia associated with banned groups, specified arsenic stylish accepted blankets with chiseled pack colours.

Some of the groups banned see the fashionable Terene ea Chakela and Terene ea Mokata-Lirope, among others.

However, groups oregon musicians not affected by the prohibition are escaped to perform, similar Famo creator Mantsali Julia Hantsi, popularly known arsenic Thope Tse Khang.

Famo euphony wasn’t ever associated with unit and gangs, Hantsi told Al Jazeera, adding that historically, Famo euphony was a mode for radical to explicit themselves, celebrate, and archer stories.

“[Famo music] was a signifier of amusement that besides served to sphere the past and civilization of the Basotho people,” she said. “Unfortunately, successful much caller times, definite factions person utilized the euphony to incite unit oregon beforehand rivalry among themselves.”

A wide presumption of Lesotho’s superior Maseru [File: Gianluigi Guercia/AFP]

‘Not astir violence’

In July this year, 2 salient voices astatine the forefront of the Famo country were caught up successful the worsening unit erstwhile unidentified gunmen opened occurrence connected their van successful Maseru and changeable them.

Khopolo Khuluoe, popularly known arsenic Lisuoa, was an award-winning vocalist of Famo, portion Pulane Macheli was a celebrated vigor personality. Together, they were connected a quest to halt unit related to Famo music.

Instead, they became victims of the precise happening they were trying truthful hard to halt – with Khuluoe killed instantly astatine the country of the shooting and Macheli dying successful infirmary the pursuing day.

In Lesotho, murders related to Famo euphony look to person risen. This twelvemonth alone, the media has reported respective cases of Famo-related murders, including the household members of an alleged Famo gangster.

Many of the killings are connected to a longstanding feud betwixt 2 large Famo gangs: the Terene ea Mokata Lirope group, and the Liala Mabatha gang. The 2 person been astatine each other’s throats for months.

In April, 2 members of the Terene radical were changeable astatine a ceremonial successful their leader’s agrarian location successful Leribe. Six hours later, a suspected revenge sidesplitting took place: 5 household members of a rival Famo pack subordinate were killed.

No 1 has been charged for the murders but it is believed the killings are linked to the Terene and Liala Mabatha feud.

Hantsi feels disheartened astir the caller associations betwixt Famo and violence. “This displacement has formed a shadiness connected the genre,” she said, “but astatine its core, Famo is not astir violence; it’s astir storytelling and expression.”

Famo euphony originated from migrant mining communities successful Johannesburg a period ago. The genre is inactive fashionable with miners successful the metropolis contiguous [File: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]

Evolution of Famo

Famo euphony originated successful the slum yards of Johannesburg successful the 1920s, writes Lehlohonolo Phafoli successful the academic article The Evolution of Sotho Accordion Music successful Lesotho. Back then, it was mostly performed for drinkers of an illicit brew called “skokiaan” successful amerciable drinking spots for Black people, called “shebeens”.

Many visiting the shebeens, according to Phafoli, were Basotho nationals who joined throngs migrating to South Africa successful hunt of work, which besides included autochthonal Black South Africans dispossessed from their onshore nether apartheid.

From South Africa’s townships, Famo made its mode to Lesotho. Phafoli notes: “Famo euphony spilled implicit into Lesotho and became communal successful shebeens. Its accomplishment successful Lesotho tin beryllium attributed to 2 large groups: first, migrant labourers, particularly men, and second, Basotho women who came from the locations and excavation compounds successful Johannesburg”.

Over the years, South Africa and Lesotho person continued to stock similar, and often connected, transgression problems linked to Famo euphony and amerciable mining.

Famo is inactive fashionable among the “zama zamas”, the amerciable miners who burrow for golden successful the remnants of Johannesburg’s old, disused mines and excavation dumps today.

At a remainder halt betwixt Johannesburg and Maseru, 1 of the Basotho passengers, Keith Mahosi, points stealthily to the stylish bluish overall-clad rider and Famo fan.

“You spot that feline implicit there, helium is simply a zama zama,” said Mahosi, a fiscal expert moving successful Johannesburg whose existent sanction we are not utilizing to support his safety.

“If immoderate altercation were to originate close now,” Mahosi said quietly, “he [the antheral successful bluish overalls] volition beryllium the archetypal to propulsion retired a gun.”

There is overmuch mistrust and apprehension astir those suspected of being zama zamas, amid grounds linking them to transgression and violence, including murders. Many zama zamas are besides thought to beryllium associated with Famo gangs.

Along Lesotho’s borderline with South Africa, it is mostly peaceful – populated with affable roadside vendors and makeshift zinc structures that service arsenic autobus terminals. But the bid tin displacement suddenly. On June 11, respective gunmen opened occurrence connected passengers arsenic they stepped retired of a minibus, sidesplitting 2 people. It is believed the killings were Famo related.

One of the biggest drivers of Famo unit is amerciable mining successful South Africa, John Mokwetsi, a writer from Lesotho, told Al Jazeera successful Maseru, utilizing a pseudonym to support his safety.

“These Famo gangs present tally antithetic amerciable mining turfs successful South Africa. What happens is sometimes they [rival Famo pack members] person struggle successful the mines. When they neglect to find a pack subordinate they privation to harm successful South Africa, they question to Lesotho and termination the pack member’s family,” helium said.

‘Like a rap beef’

In Lesotho today, the gangs formed astir Famo euphony run successful antithetic areas, according to section media reports.

Mahosi, who is simply a instrumentality of American hip-hop music, likened the feuds of Famo gangs to the US hip-hop feud of the mid-1990s that culminated successful the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (popularly known arsenic Biggie Smalls). The feud pitted artists from cities connected the East Coast of the US against those from the west.

Drawing parallels betwixt the 2 euphony feuds, Mahosi said: “Like the rap ‘beef’ betwixt East Coast and West Coast backmost successful the day, present [in Lesotho] we person the northbound and southbound with Leribe territory being the southbound and Mafeteng territory being the north.

“A Famo instrumentalist from the northbound cannot execute successful the southbound and vice versa. Well, they tin but chances are they won’t marque it backmost location alive,” helium added.

Originally, immoderate Famo gangs formed to enactment philharmonic artists successful times of sickness and death. Two Famo gangs that were astatine the centre of unit betwixt 2009 and 2011, Seakhi and Terene, started arsenic burial societies meant to assistance members erstwhile they mislaid loved ones.

“The unit started erstwhile Famo artists began insulting each different successful their music,” said writer Mokwetsi.

While it is not wide precisely erstwhile the unit started, the archetypal spate of Famo unit wide reported connected by the property was betwixt 2009 and 2010 erstwhile 100 Famo artists were said to person been killed successful Lesotho and South Africa.

Famo unit has rapidly accrued killings successful Lesotho; the state of 2.3 cardinal present has the sixth-highest execution complaint successful the world.

Hantsi, the budding Famo musician, told Al Jazeera the unit has tarnished the representation of the genre. “It’s unfortunate due to the fact that radical present subordinate the genre with negativity, adjacent though that’s not what it primitively represented,” said Hantsi.

“This has made it harder for genuine Famo artists to proceed their trade without being caught up successful the authorities and unit surrounding the genre.”

Researchers accidental gangs effort to lure radical to articulation them with promises of wealth [File: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]

‘Breeding ground’

For galore young men who articulation Famo gangs, it each starts astatine initiation school, writer Mokwetsi told Al Jazeera. Initiation schoolhouse for boys successful Lesotho, besides known arsenic Lebollo Labanna, is simply a rite of transition that involves antheral circumcision, among different things.

“The initiation schools are benignant of a breeding crushed for these [Famo] gangs,” said Lerato Ncube, different writer investigating Famo unit with Mokwetsi, who we are besides not naming to support her identity. Referring to Lesotho’s initiation schools, she said: “That’s wherever they [Famo gangs] enlistee from.”

Famo gangs usage wealth to lure susceptible youths to articulation up, Ncube told Al Jazeera. She said they connection young boys successful agrarian areas, galore of whom unrecorded successful pugnacious economical conditions, immense amounts of wealth with promises of much to come.

“When they enlistee you into the gangs, they [Famo gangs] spell to your family, they beryllium your household down to say, we are taking this person, we privation this idiosyncratic to enactment with us. But due to the fact that the situation is volatile, this idiosyncratic mightiness die. So present is 500,000 [South African rand] oregon present is 1 cardinal [rand] arsenic security truthful that should this idiosyncratic die, you don’t travel complaining to us, we person already paid for his life,” she said.

Since the authorities banned immoderate Famo groups, astatine slightest 3 men from an country called Leribe successful Lesotho person been sentenced to 10 years successful jailhouse for wearing regalia of banned Famo groups.

“While I recognize the government’s interest for nationalist safety, I judge that banning Famo euphony and shows is not the solution,” Hantsi told Al Jazeera. She said determination should beryllium a absorption connected addressing the causes of the violence. “Famo euphony itself is not the problem; it’s however definite individuals person utilized it to propulsion harmful agendas. Music is meant to unite and heal, and we should enactment toward restoring that affirmative role.”

Despite the violence, Hantsi continues to merchandise songs and is presently experimenting with a fusion of Famo and hip-hop. “Hip-hop has a planetary reach, and its quality to talk connected existent societal issues and idiosyncratic stories complements Famo’s accepted communicative style. By blending the 2 genres, I’m capable to support the essence of Famo live portion making it applicable for today’s audience.”

Famo gangs person compromised the constabulary unit successful Lesotho, officials said [File: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]

‘They are gangsters’

Famo gangs person besides dispersed their tentacles into assorted authorities agencies, Mokwetsi told Al Jazeera. He said Famo gangs person radical successful Lesotho’s service and police, and immoderate members of the nationalist are present acrophobic to study Famo activities to constabulary due to the fact that they fearfulness accusation volition leak and determination volition beryllium retribution.

Political parties successful Lesotho are connected to Famo gangs, Mokwetsi said, thing besides reported by section media. It has besides reported connected allegations that the service and constabulary are “in bed” with Famo gangs – claims the service denies.

In May, Lesotho’s acting constabulary commissioner astatine the time, Mahlape Morai, admitted that Famo gangs had compromised the constabulary force. She pointed out, however, that the constabulary weren’t the lone entity dealing with Famo infiltration. “It is not lone constabulary officers who person joined Famo gangs. The full state is embroiled successful the Famo gangs perpetrating transgression activities and sidesplitting people. Famo is celebrated successful Lesotho, transgression is celebrated successful Lesotho, and for me, it needs to beryllium fixed attraction by everyone, not conscionable the police,” The Lesotho Times quoted her arsenic saying.

On a engaged Friday day successful the bosom of Maseru, Pioneer Mall – 1 of the biggest buying centres successful the state – was teeming with people. Near the main entrance, radical crowded astir a mega-sized chess committee – galore playing music. In surrounding shops, popular and hip-hop streamed done speakers. But 1 happening conspicuous by its lack was Famo euphony – a starkly antithetic representation from the dominance of the genre connected minibuses plying the Johannesburg-Maseru route.

“Famo is not everyone’s cupful of tea,” said Mahosi, who said the genre was much fashionable successful agrarian Lesotho than successful municipality centres similar Maseru. That’s partially due to the fact that of sensation preferences but besides due to the fact that of the unit present associated with Famo, helium said.

“I don’t dislike Famo music,” Mahosi said. “Many radical similar it due to the fact that it is our accepted music. But implicit the years, it has go astir violence. Many of the radical who sing Famo euphony are zama zamas, they are gangsters.

“It’s the radical associated with Famo euphony that marque maine privation to disassociate myself with the genre.”