Karabo 'Lehanza' Seelo is a living testimony that dreams come true

Kgomotso Molelekeng
Correspondent | Friday August 17, 2012 00:00

 

The young man is certainly doing a good job and describes the response he has been getting from the people as overwhelming. There is definitely more to this young man than meets the eye.

He appears to be shy at first almost avoiding eye-contact but immediately he warms up and this is the time we get to know more about him, it is hard to believe that this Tonota-born young man has much on his plate as he handles every task like a professional and with ease. For a minute, there is a pleasant giggle in the room as jokes are passed around.  Before finding his true love, the world of media, Seelo was an ordinary boy who grew up roaming, as it were, the streets. 'My mother is a teacher so she was always transferred to different places and as a kid I had to move with her,' he immediately points out.

Born on November 27, 1991, Seelo describes his childhood days - as a kid who was very talkative and outspoken as he was chosen to be a deputy head boy in both his junior and senior secondary schooling at Tonota.  He did his studies at Shashe River School. His love for TV began in his early years when he used to look in a mirror and pretend that he was presenting a show. 'Sometimes I'd pretend that I was the one being interviewed in some shows,' he tells with a giggle.

Life has not been smooth for him as he recalls the many auditions he went to but didn't make the cut. His first TV audition was back in 2010 when he auditioned for the My African Dream (MAD) talent show. 'I ended up in the top 10 after having gone though a number of stages where over a thousand people were eliminated but I didn't make it as a presenter,' he says. He later on auditioned for being a presenter on Prime Time and once again flunked it, but this did not make him give up on his dream. He again tried his luck at Btv when he auditioned for an educational programme but he once again got rejected despite making it through to the top 10.

The forth time Seelo was lucky, It wasn't long before Seelo's dreams finally came true on the October 11, 2011 when he woke up in a very determined mood that day. 'I told God that this was my job before I even auditioned.

Little did I know how right I was.  God never disappoints,' he says. Lehanza finally made the Mokaragana cut after getting a call on February 2012 that he had been selected as a presenter. His face suddenly becomes animated when he talks about Mokaragana. 'I believe I've brought a very youthful touch to the programme as I also use my dancing skills to make the show even more interesting and so far I have not heard people saying I am imitating the previous presenters because am just myself,' he points out.

Many people find themselves every Saturday sitting in front of their TV sets waiting patiently for the show to begin at 8pm but little do they realise that the person delivering their favourite show to them is a third year student at Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) studying Business Entrepreneurship and Advertising.

One may assume that being a TV personality means having a role model also in the television industry but for Seelo it is different, as he looks up to his mother who managed to raise four successful children as a single parent and who is very supportive of his dreams. The young man says people do recognise him when he is out and sometimes ask for his autographs. He says his most embarrassing moment on TV was when he accidentally forgot the name of an artist he was supposed to introduce to the audience. 'I quickly said, 'let's all give a round of applause for the following artist....',' he says with a laugh.

Being a presenter can be all glamorous and easy to the eye but Seelo begs to differ as he tells Arts & Culture that it sometimes becomes difficult to memorise information about a certain artist he has to introduce. He points out that the secret to always being the people's favourite presenter is to always be humble and he's quick to point out that it comes naturally to him because he was raised to always be modest and kind to others. He sees himself hosting his own television show in the near future. A gifted orator, Seelo is a master of ceremonies (MC), especially for the Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU).

Seelo is also a motswako artist who released an album called Menate Fela in 2010 and was also the first artist to have his launch broadcast on eBotswana. He has also featured in many local newspapers and despite the many obstacles he faces; he still remains strong and even more eager to achieve his dreams and goals.

He claims the best lesson that life has taught him was to always chase his dreams and to do things for himself because one can only get what they want if they stand up for themselves because other people can easily let you down. His advice to young people out there is very simple: everything is possible as long as one sets his/her mind on something and works on it tirelessly without ceasing.