Famo gang wars fuel violence

In late July, popular radio journalist Pulane Macheli was shot dead in Maseru while mediating between rival groups of musicians called the famo gangs. The Mail & Guardian reports that she was with famo star Khopolo Kholue who was probably the assailants’ target. The tragedy is the latest in the musical turf wars that escalated into one of the biggest security threats in Lesotho. So many killings have been attributed to these gangs that the government in May issued a Gazette notice declaring their existence unlawful. However, the groups argue that they are civic societies with as much freedom of association as any other. Famo is an accordion-based Sesotho music genre popular in Lesotho and South Africa. Through lyrics that disparage each other, some of the musicians have created and fuelled feuds that escalate into bloody gunfights. In 2022, when Lesotho climbed to the unenviable number one position in Africa for homicide, famo gangs were seen as a major contributing factor. Initial feuds appeared to be over the music market. ‘They vie for control in their areas of operation and become jealous if any group’s music becomes more popular than the others in their respective turfs,’ the Lesotho Times reported in April.