Moretlo ‘Moleli
Moretlo ‘Moleli, also fondly known as Momo, is a Communications Specialist who is passionate about telling stories of resilience and victory about those who are often overlooked, unheard and forgotten.
She is an activist at heart, with her greatest drive being serving marginalised communities. She believes that this is a social responsibility which needs to be fostered in all human beings from an early age. One of her passions is social justice and equality advocacy. It is for this reason that she partnered with a like-minded person to create the non-profit organisation “Movers for Social Change” whose mission is restorative justice with the aim of uprooting the weeds of GBV while planting good seeds, and helping communities to heal. It is because of her many positive leadership attributes, such as: her passion of helping underserved communities, love for education and a heart for reconciliation which landed her the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship in 2016, as one of only two Basotho who were granted this award. Moretlo was also a recipient of several academic awards including a merit award from the University of the Free State (UFS) and Machabeng College.
Moretlo has a career background in multilateral international organisations focusing on communications and partnerships management, with her most recent role in this industry at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Her experience also spans across areas such as: communications for development; education and curriculum development; and Africa's economic development with a research focus on regional integration and its prospects of facilitating the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Her education background is in International Relations, having acquired both her B.A. Honours Degree and M.A. Masters Degree from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in the same field of study.
Moretlo’s biggest strength is her ability to connect with people by vulnerably sharing her journey, recognising their needs and working hand-in-hand harmoniously to build a better reality for them.
Entangled Threads: Redefining Success
Momo has written a powerful and poignant essay reflecting on her life and experiences, which Nicola Green has transformed into an artwork. Momo’s handwritten text has been printed with gold dust pigment so her words are valued, heard and resplendently beautiful. As a Mandela Rhodes scholar, Momo feels that the legacy of colonialism in southern Africa should be interrogated through education from a younger age as a means to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable transformation. She feels strongly about actively supporting progress across the African continent through human capital development. Momo emphasises the importance of listening to people’s real lived experiences as a tool for sustainable development. For Nicola the use of gold also references the colonial scramble for Africa’s natural resources, the extractive exploitation of De Beers and the British South Africa Company, and the inequalities that remain in South African society as a result. She has created an artwork in which Momo’s words shine through in defiance of this history.
Tapestry: Seshoeshoe
This artwork is inspired by Momo’s seshoeshoe (shweshwe), a dress worn by (Ba)Sotho women. A historic product of colonialism, seshoeshoe was reclaimed as a symbol of cultural pride and homage to the founder of the Basotho Nation, King Moshoeshoe I, whom the material has been named after. For Momo, wearing this fabric is empowering, and has enabled her to celebrate her heritage in new ways. Her seshoeshoe is bright pink and gold, with royal blue buttons. The three colours represent femininity, regality and fortitude. Momo and Nicola hope this artwork will be understood as a bold and radical reclamation of Rhodes House, a space from which black women have been historically excluded.