Lesotho has been plunged into mourning following the death of award-winning Sesotho rapper Bokang Moleli, better known as Malome Vector, on Wednesday this week.
Malome Vector was a new-school Sesotho rap artist born and raised in Manonyane Roma, Maseru Lesotho in 1992, but was now based in South Africa.
A statement released this week by his family said: “It is with immeasurable grief that we, Moleli’s family, confirm the passing of our son Bokang Moleli aka Malome Vector on July 24,2024.
“Malome Vector was involved in a tragic motor vehicle accident on his way to Lesotho which took his life immediately.
A true and a loving son indeed. He lived all his life in the entertainment industry and brought to us the music that we have come to love so much. His friends and fans will remember him by his limitless love and selflessness.
He leaves behind his wife, daughter, mother, father and four siblings.
The family appreciates all condolences and love that is pouring from all ends of the word. However, due to the burden of this matter the family kindly requests to be given the time it needs to mourn,” the statement noted.
The Free State Department of Health also confirmed that the Emergency Services (EMS) responded to a fatal accident on the N1 near Koppies turn off on Wednesday this week.
On arrival, they found a light motor vehicle that had earlier collided with a heavy motor vehicle. There were five people in the light vehicle: Two were critically injured and are now stable in hospital (male and female), while three males were declared dead on the scene.
Preliminary facts show that those involved in the accident were driving from the Gauteng side of the N1 towards Bloemfontein.
“The Department is reliably informed that the accident this afternoon involved some prominent musical artists. Their managers have been informed and they have attended to the scene and the hospital in order to get full details of what happened and who was involved, so that the next of kin of those involved in this fatal accident may be decently informed.”
Fellow artist, Ntate Stunna poured his heart out to his departed friend saying: “May your legacy live forever.”
The government yesterday held an emergency press conference to announce the death of two artists – Malome Vector and Khopolo Khuluoe, known as Lisuoa, as well as radio presenter Pulane Macheli, within a short period of time. Lisuoa and Macheli died last weekend.
Tourism, sports arts and culture minister, Motlatsi Maqelepo said, “I am here today to inform the Basotho nation about how devastated we are as a ministry and as a country because of the death of artists in our country.
“We are also here today to pass our deepest condolences to the families affected, to artists in general, and to Basotho as a whole. The loss of these artists is a terrible loss to our country as we know these artists play a massive role towards contributing to the economy of our country,” Maqelepo said.
He promised that as the ministry will visit the affected families in order to hear from them what kind of support they may require.
Maqelepo, however, stated that there is no budget allocated for such losses from his ministry, but he believes that the government will still think of supporting such families.
Malome Vector spent his early childhood listening to the traditional Sesotho sounds of artists such as Famole and the late Khosi Mosotho Chakela, and would later discover motswako rap pioneers HHP and Morafe.
He started making and releasing his own music independently during the early 2010s, and garnered support in Lesotho’s fledgling music scene for his Afropop-inflected music.
But it wasn’t until he signed on to Ambitious Records and moved to Joburg in 2020 that things started to really pick up. He can be heard flexing in Sesotho raps on ‘Dumelang’ (an Afro-trap banger featuring labelmates Blaq Diamond) or baring his heart over Afrobeats-leaning production on ‘Lerato’.
Following his exit from his former recording label, Malome Vector established The Whole Entertainment and began to work on his extended play titled 1964 in February this year via Instagram. This new offering was released on March 28, 2024. 1964 is an afro-pop record incorporated with the elements of RnB, soul and afrobeats.
