Moselantja Mokhele, Matabello's grandmother, was the daughter of a prestigious farmer in the Eastern Cape and was married to an Anglican missionary.
The father of Matabello's grandmother, her great-grandfather, Tsekiso Tsiu, was related to the royal Lesotho family.
Soon after Resha turned one, she was given to her mother's unmarried sister, Maylia, to be raised on her father's farm ‘La Grange’ in Pontseng, which was approximately seven miles from St James.
RaTsiu then decided to overstep his son Tsiu, and gave the position to Moshoeshoe in order to lead the Basotho nation.
Nonetheless, RaTsiu remained within the royal family and functioned as the young King Moshoeshoe's counselor.
Resha's great grandfather, Rantsiuoa, only had one daughter named Ntsiuoa, whose two sons became direct heirs.
Here, she was taught reading, writing, dictation, basic arithmetic, poetry and music as well as needlework, sewing, weaving traditional mats and baskets.
The Resettlement Board demolishers had arrived shortly after our departure, and had commenced the demolition of our house without having given us any notice of their intentions.She also organized the meetings for the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Kliptown in 1955.
She also attended international conferences representing the ANC's women's section visiting countries such as Russia and China.
[4] That same year she wrote an autobiography "My Life in the Struggle: Mangoana tsoara thipa ka bohaleng".
She is survived by her brother Caiphus Tsiu, her youngest sister Ruth Molly Mpati Tsiu-Tlhagwane, her daughter Nosipho Malie-Resha and her grand children Nomonde, Malie, Mwelisi, S'busiso, Nobubele and Buhle Mkwananzi.
[5] On April 22, 2008 she was awarded the Order of Luthuli in Silver for “… her excellent contribution to the struggle against the apartheid system in South Africa and fighting gender injustices in society”.