'Franco' enters the hospitality industry

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Correspondent | Wednesday February 14, 2007 00:00

Speaking at the official opening of the lodge, the acting president of the Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU), Bafana Pheto, urged musicians to invest the profits realised from record sales wisely.

Lesokwane invested by going into the hospitality industry as a way of diversifying his sources of income. Pheto said it is important to invest one's money in other income-generating projects since a musician's reign at the top averages only five years. He said the facility opened by Lesokwane, which is the first of its kind in Gabane, could take care of the Lesokwane family needs up to a time he walks with a stick.

What Lesokwane has done, Pheto said, would go a long way in promoting the name of local musicians as people who have a vision in life. Pheto said often the name of musicians is dragged in the mud by artistes who do not invest wisely and end up as beggars. Pheto himself has invested his profits in transport and owns a fleet of mini buses, which are used as taxis. He has also built himself a house in Gaborone. Pheto paid tribute to Lesokwane saying he  had not let down the people  of Gabane,  his home village. He said Lesokwane did well to invest in Gabane, an area with little development, noting that the facility would not only cater for Gabane but had also increased the lodging and accommodation facilities in the greater Gaborone area.

'Gabane is now part of Gaborone,' Pheto said. 'People from Gaborone  will easily access  this facility.' He hoped that by building the  facility in Gabane,  Lesokwane's actions would teach other musicians to invest in their home villages.

'We never get to know about other musicians' home villages until they have died, perhaps more and more artistes would invite us in their home villages for  projects like this one.' Pheto further praised Lesokwane for being the firste artist to gather people for such a project. The ceremony was also attended by the area Member of Parliament, Edward Raletobana, the area councillor, the village chief, Seeletso Pule, while pop singer, Asley Gops, and his dancers Marulelo entertained the guests with song.

Lesokwane's facility, called Jonas Inn, also has conference facilities. Due to the shortage of land in the village, the musician had to subdivide his compound to build the lodge on one side.

Over the last six years, Lesokwane's brand of Kwasa kwasa has been in high demand, making him arguably the most successful musician the country has ever had. His music is also distributed in Namibia and Zimbabwe.