Origins, Priorities, Achievements and the Future

Joint efforts between Morija Museum and Archives and the Royal Archives and Museum began in mid-2014. As they began to realise the wealth of heritage and living culture in the larger Morija-Matsieng area, the consciousness within the communities concerned to preserve and gain a return from these assets, and the potential to succeed in this regard through collaborative efforts, a Steering Committee was inaugurated in mid-2016 under the auspices of the Principal Chief of Matsieng, as well as local Members of Parliament.

The Steering Committee, composed of chiefs, councillors, and representatives of schools and churches, had three main priorities: to draft a constitution that would enshrine its aspirations, to attract other sympathetic persons in the community to support this initiative, and to draft project documents that could be used to mobilise resources to implement the needed improvements.

A 39-page Constitution was registered under the Societies Act in February 2020, Reg. No. 2020/55. It provides for a series of inter-related bodies that constitute the SSM Network. All of these structures are in place.

SSM is not a business enterprise. It is a platform which institutions, associations, businesses and others can utilise to improve services and grow within the greater Makhoarane region. The Morija-Matsieng Heritage Tourism Project entails the development of a premier tourism destination encompassing the villages of Morija and the three Royal Villages of Phahameng, Makeneng and Matsieng, as well as the surrounding communities and natural features. Multiple stakeholders within both the public and private sectors collaborate in this undertaking through the Network.

Preservation of outstanding heritage in the three Royal Villages and Morija, known as Selibeng sa Thuto, the Well-Spring of Learning, serves as a base for catalysing the growth of creative and cultural industries, the broader tourism value chain, and other forms of investment in the Makhoarane area. A Feasibility Study, financed by the Ministry of Development Planning, was finalised in late 2019. The SSM project was adopted by the Public Sector Investment Committee in 2017. Ongoing research and expanded research partnerships are deepening the basis for presenting and interpreting this important cluster of heritage sites, significant not only for Lesotho but for the wider sub-continent.