01 Aug 2019

Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Nonofo Molefhi has encouraged KTM Choir to work hard and save money so that they could host the regional international choral festival.

Mr Molefhi acknowledged the effort by government to sponsor KTM, saying it was not known when another invitation would come, but that the choir should know what they would use when the occasion came.

Molefhi was addressing the choir at a reception to mark KTM’s departure to Sweden where they had been invited to partake in the World choral competitions.

The minister said Batswana were happy for them to represent the diamond country, and urged them to come back with new strategies to develop the artistic culture of choral music.

Minister Molefhi noted that if people who started KTM had kept their talent to themselves, the choir could not be in existence today.

“One needs self-discipline, tolerance, resilience and purpose to build an artist background such as the one for KTM Choir,” he emphasised.

The choir’s chairperson, Lorato Morapedi said they were happy to have been invited to attend the festival, saying organisers looked at the quality of the choir.

Morapedi said KTM had demonstrated quality which showed its eagerness to focus on youth empowerment. She noted that the quality of the choir had increased in terms of how it packaged itself. She said the choir had been invited to participate at the European Festival Choral Music. She revealed that although Ghana had been invited, they were not worried because they were invited in case KTM choir did not make it.

“We have been called not only to represent Botswana, but the continent of Africa and this is a great achievement,” she added.

Morapedi noted that 36 nations would attend the event.

She also noted that the founders of KTM used to meet at one of the choir’s founding fathers, Leepile Lefenya before embarking on a journey. Ends