The Basotho people.docx

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The Basotho people

Other facts

Lesotho Its people, issues and history

About Lesotho

Lesotho (pronounced li-soo-too), is officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, a landlocked countryentirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa which covers an area of 30 000 square km roughly the size of Belgium or the US state of Maryland. Formerly Basutoland, the nameLesotho translates roughly into "the land of the people who speak Sotho". Lesotho is also knownas the Kingdom in the Sky as the entire country lies 1000m above sea level and includesThabana-Ntlenyana, which at 3482m is the highest peak in Africa south of Kilimanjaro. The twinspines of the Drakensberg and Maluti mountain highlands dominate Lesothos formidable terrainand occupy three- quarters of the countrys area giving sanctuary to a unique developing nation.The country offers an opportunity to experience Africa's natural beauty and the simplicity andwarmth of the friendly Basotho people who have developed a rich culture within their towns and

isolated villages.

Current issues

The Kingdom of Lesotho is a poor country rich in culture but with a smalleconomy. This linked video highlights some of the issues confrontingLesotho today including how the Basotho people may be able to harness theirculture to supplement their meager incomes by providing tourists with a
http://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.html#TheBasothopeoplehttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.html#otherhttp://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=19080http://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=19080http://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=19080http://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=19080http://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=19080http://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=19080http://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=19080http://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=19080http://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.htmlhttp://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=19080http://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.html#otherhttp://africa.co.ls/aboutLesotho.html#TheBasothopeople


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unique African experience. We recommend viewing and hope you will become one of theirtourist 'diamonds' in the near future.

The Basotho people

The Basotho people (the local inhabitants of Lesotho) are renowned for their crafts, and their

traditional products have a reputation for quality, individuality and variety. For many years ponies were their only means of transport through the mountainous terrain, resulting in a strongtradition of horse-riding and breeding.

The traditional Basotho Hat, or mokorotlo, is the best known of a fine range of grass-works madein Lesotho. It's conical shape is seen everywhere in the kingdom, and is the recognized symbolof the country. The hats shape is believed to have been inspired by the Qiloane mountain nearthe mountain fortress of Moshoeshoe I - Thaba-Bosiu.

The flag

The flag of Lesotho features a prominent black 'mokorotlo' or Basotho hat at its centre. Theupper blue band signifies sky and rain, the middle white band peace and the lower green band theland of Lesotho.


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The Basotho houses

The traditional Lesotho house is called a mokhoro and being built in the rondavel style is usuallyround and made with local materials. The walls will often be constructed from stones heldtogether with a mortar of sand and soil mixed with dung. The floor is finished with a tampeddung mixture to make it smooth. The roof is thatched, a process that can take as little as oneweekend or up to a year when made by a skilled artisan who will sewn in one section at a time,starting from the bottom working towards the top. As each section is sewn, it may be weatheredand aged in so as to form a complete weatherproof seal.

History of Lesotho

The rise of the Basotho

The Basotho people have lived in southern Africa since around the fifteenth century whereas themodern Basotho nation of Lesotho emerged during the early 1800s under the leadership of KingMoshoeshoe I who gathered together different clans of Sotho-Tswana people that were dispersedacross southern Africa. King Moshoeshoe I is considered the father of Lesothos history. He

began his rise to prominence as a local chief of a small village. Around 1820 he led his villagersto Butha-Buthe, a mountain stronghold, where they survived the first battles of the Mfecane(Difaqane, or Lifaqane in the Sesotho language) an African expression meaning "the crushing"or "scattering" and exemplifies a period of widespread chaos and disturbance in southern Africaduring the period between 1815 and about 1840 when Zulu chieftain Shaka created a militaristicand expansive Zulu kingdom. In 1824 Moshoeshoe moved his people to Thaba-Bosiu, amountaintop that was even easier to defend. King Moshoeshoe I rose in diplomatic status withhis acts of friendship towards his beaten enemies. He provided land and protection to variousSotho peoples and this strengthened the growing Basotho nation. His influence and followersgrew from an inflow of refugees and victims of the continuing Mfecane

The nation of LesothoBy the later part of the 1800s, King Moshoeshoe established the nation of the Basotho orBasutoland. Around the 1830s Europeans (mainly Afrikaners) started to migrate as settlers intothe centre of South Africa and continued the on-going conflict between Europeans and Africans.In an attempt to be prepared for any such conflict in Basutoland, Moshoeshoe asked missionariesto come and live among his people. He believed that in this way he could buffer his countryagainst the encroaching Europeans and other African groups.


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The national anthem of Lesotho is "Lesotho Fate La Bo -ntata Rona", which literally translatesinto "Lesotho, Land Of Our Fathers".

Main towns of Lesotho

Languages: Lesotho's Basotho are a Bantu-speaking people.

Religion: Roman Catholics, the largest religious group, make up more than two-fifths of the population; smaller groups include the Lesotho Evangelical Church, Anglican and otherChristian and tribal religions.

Education and literacy: An estimated 85 percent of the population 15 and over are literate. Assuch, Lesotho boasts one of the highest literacy rates in Africa. Although education is notcompulsory, the Government of Lesotho is incrementally implementing a programme for free

primary education.

Economy: Lesotho's economy is principally based on exports of water from the Orange Riversystem to South Africa's Free State and greater Johannesburg areas. Lesotho also exportsdiamonds, wool, mohair, clothing, and footwear. Manufacturing, agriculture, livestock, and theearnings of labourers employed in South Africa are important sources of income. Almost 50% ofthe population earn some income through crop cultivation or animal husbandry.

The information on this page comes from a range of sources but is principally a summation ofthe Wikipedia sections dealing with Lesotho.

Neighbouring South Africa has always cast a long shadow over Lesotho, fuelling a perpetual struggle for a separate identity on an ever-diminishing patch of territory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesothohttp://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinationRedirector?atlasId=355611http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinationRedirector?atlasId=355611http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinationRedirector?atlasId=355611http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinationRedirector?atlasId=355611http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesotho


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The first inhabitants of the mountainous region that makes up present-day Lesotho were the hunter gatherer people known as the Khoisan. They have left many examples oftheir rock art in the river valleys. Lesotho was settled by the Sotho peoples in the 16th century.

Contents

Moshoeshoe the great The road to independence

Big brother

Moshoeshoe the great

King Moshoeshoe (pronounced mo -shwe- shwe or moshesh) is the father figure of Lesothos history. He bega n life as a local chief of a small village. Around 1820 he led hisvillagers to Butha-Buthe, a mountain stronghold, where they survived the first battles of the difaqane (forced migration), caused by the violent expansion of the nearby Zulustate. The loosely organised southern Sotho society managed to survive due largely to the adept political and diplomatic abilities of the king. In 1824 Moshoeshoe moved hispeople to Thaba-Bosiu, a mountaintop that was even easier to defend.

From Thaba-Bosiu, Moshoeshoe played a patient game of placating the stronger local rulers and granting protection, as well as land and cattle, to refugees. These people andothers like them were to form Basutholand; at the time of Moshoeshoes death in 1870, it had a population of mo re than 150, 000.

As the difaqane receded a new threat arose. The Voortrekkers (Boer pioneers) had crossed the Senqu (Orange) River in the 1830s and established the Orange Free State . By1843 Moshoeshoe was sufficiently concerned by their numbers to ally himself with the British Cape Colony government. The British Resident in Basutholand decided thatMoshoeshoe was becoming too powerful and engineered an unsuccessful attack on his kingdom.

Treaties with the British helped define the borders of Basutholand but did little to stop squabbles with the Boers. The Boers pressed their cl aims on the land and increasingtension led to wars between the Orange Free State and the Basotho people in 1858 and 1865. Though he achieved success in the first war, Moshoeshoe was forced in thesecond to sign away much of his western lowlands.

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The road to independence

The continual war between the Orange Free State and Basutholand was not good for British interests, and in 1868 the British government annexed Basutholand and handed itto the Cape Colony to run in 1871. After a period of instability, the British government again took direct control of Basutholand in 1884, although it remained easier to giveeffective authority to local leaders than rule through British officers.

Lesothos existence is attributable to a quirk of history and fortuitous timing. In the 1880s, direct British rule was deeply resented by the l ocal population as an infringement onBasutholands freedom and sovereignty. Little were they to know that British occupation would secure the future independence of Lesotho as other kingdoms fell under theSouth African umbrella. All because at the precise moment when the Union o f South Africa was created, Basutholand was a British Protectorate and was not included in theUnion.

In 1910 the advisory Basutholand National Council was formed from members nominated by the chiefs. In the mid-1950s the council requested internal self-government fromthe British; by 1960 a new constitution was in place and elections were held for a l egislative council. The main contenders were the Basutholand Congress Party (BCP), similarto South Africa s African National Congress (ANC), and the conservative Basutholand National Party (BNP) headed by Chief Leabua Jonathan.

The BCP won the 1960 elections and demanded full independence from Britain. This was eventually agreed to; independence came into effect in 1966. However, at theelections in 1965 the BCP lost to the BNP and Chief Jonathan became the first prime minister of the new Kingdom of Lesotho which allied itself with the apartheid regime acrossthe border.

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Big brother

Stripping King Moshoeshoe II of the few powers that the new constitution had left him did not endear Jonathans government to the people and the BCP wo n the 1970 election. After his defeat, Jonathan followed the example of many bad losers in African history by suspending the constitution, expelling the king and banning all opposition politicalparties. Jonathan changed tack, distancing himself from South Africa and calling for the return of land in the Orang e Free State that had been stolen from the originalBasutholand. He also offered refuge to ANC guerrillas and flirted with Cuba . South Africa closed Lesothos borders, strangling the country.

Jonathan was deposed in 1986 and the king was restored as head of state. This was a popular move, but eventually agitation for democratic reform rose again. In 1990 KingMoshoeshoe II was deposed by the army in favour of his son, Prince Mohato Bereng Seeisa (Letsie III). Elections in 1993 resulted in the return of the BCP.

In 1995 Letsie III abdicated in favour of his father. Five years after being deposed, Moshoeshoe II was reinstated, restoring calm to Lesotho after a year of unrest. Less t han ayear later he was killed when his 4WD plunged over a cliff in t he Maluti Mountains. Letsie III became king for the second time.

A split in the BCP saw the breakaway Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) take power. Elections were held in 1998 amid accusations of widespread cheating by the LCD,which won by a landslide. Tensions between the public service and the government became acute, and the military was also split over the result.
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Following months of protests, the government appeared to be losing control. In late September 1998 it called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) treatypartners, Botswana , South Africa and Zimbabwe , to help restore order. Troops, mainly South African, invaded the kingdom. Rebel elements of the Lesotho army put up strongresistance and there was heavy fighting in Maseru .

The government agreed to call new elections, but the political situation remained tense with the spectre of South African intervention never far away. Political wrangling delayedthe elections until May 2002. The LCD won again and Prime Minister Mosisili began a second and peaceful five-year term.

Various Sotho societies arrived in Basutoland and Free State areas in the seventeenth century. King Moshoeshoe I

united the Sotho tribes against the Zulu invaders.

During the 19th century the territory of Basutoland played an important role in the colonial history of southern Africa.The first formal contact between European immigrants and its indigenous residents was probably made in 1833 whenthree French missionaries, Thomas Abousset, Eugene Casalis and Constant Gosselin, visited Moshoeshoe , king ofthe newly formed baSotho nation, and obtained permission to establish a mission station at Morija. They werefollowed in October 1834 by a research party led by Dr Andrew Smith.

After the first visits by missionaries, groups of migrant Dutch farmers, some of whom were granted land for settlementunder baSotho customary law, infiltrated the country. In 1836 the territory was invaded by groups o f Voortrekkerswho, despite having signed a "treaty of friendship" with the baSotho in 1837, declared a separate republic on theirlands in 1843.

A series of inconclusive territorial wars between the baSotho and Dutch slowly eroded baSotho land holdings in whatwas to become the Orange Free State despite the intervention of the British at the Cape. Despite having managed toretain his independence against the Voortrekkers, Moshoeshoe realised that the future of baSotho sovereignty lay ina close association with the British. As a result, in 1862, he wrote to the newly-appointed Governor of the Cape, SirPhilip Wodehouse, suggesting that an alliance be formed between the two territories. On 12 March 1868, acting inthe face of continued Voortrekker aggression; Wodehouse issued a proclamation declaring Bautoland a BritishProtectorate. This was formalised by the baSotho on 15 April 1868. In 1871 Basutoland was annexed into the CapeColony.

Boundary negotiations with the Voortrekkers were concluded in February 1869, during which large tracts of land inthe Ficksburg, Fouriesburg, Landybrand, Thaba 'Nchu, Wepener and Zastron districts were ceded to the Orange FreeState. Within a year the first British administrators began to arrive in Basutoland, and although many of itsadministrative functions were integrated with those of the Cape, it retained its autonomous status as a HighCommission Territory. For the purpose of administration the territory was originally divided into four districts:

* Leribe, whose magisterial seat was located at Thlotse Heights, later renamed Leribe. In 1882 it contained 12 tradingstations and three missions.

* Berea, whose magisterial seat was initially located at Advance Post.In 1886 this was transferred to Berea, whichwas renamed Teyateyaneng in about 1888.

* Thaba Bosigo, which was probably the most prosperous district of Basutoland.

* Cornet Spruit, whose magisterial seat was located at Mohale's Hoek.

In 1877 an additional district known as Quthing was formed. The Governor's Agent was resident at Maseru. Thefollowing census figures were available for Basutoland in 1875:

BASUTOLAND, territory of ......... 128,176 residents 1,489 literate

District of Berea .............. 17,348 residents 131 literate

District of Cornet Spruit ...... 27,291 residents 295 literate

District of Leribe ............. 31,434 residents 43 literate

District of Thaba Bosigo ....... 52,203 residents 1,020 literate
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By the 1904 census the total population for the territory had risen to

348,848 residents.

In 1959 Basutoland became a British Colony and was called Territory of Basutoland. Basutoland gained fullindependence from Britain on 4 October 1966 and became known as Lesotho. Jonathan Leabua became thecountry's first Prime Minister. Lesotho was also rocked by a military takeover, which forced King Moshoeshoe II intoexile. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 23 years of authoritarian rule, which included seven yearsof military rule. Lesotho is the main supplier of water to South Africa and in turn receives its electricity from itsneighbour. It is completely surrounded by South Africa.

Lesotho http://www.informatuttonet.com/atlante/mappe03/lesotho.gif

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/lt.html - the CIA factbook on Lesotho

http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Country_Specific/Lesotho.html

http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/leso.html -links to a wide variety of Lesotho sites

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/lesotho/ -for a brief political history

-is an annotated collection of many Lesotho related sites

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107714.html -provides historic and geographic information

http://allafrica.com/lesotho/ -for breaking news on Lesotho

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1063291.stm -for audio clips, brief facts and a Lesothotimeline

Writ ten by Franco Frescura

After defeat by the Boers in 1843, King Moshoeshoe I, of the Basotho people, looked to the British for aid. In 1884 a British Crown colony was formed.Independence as Lesotho was achieved in 1966.

A Brief History of LesothoFrom US Department of State

Where in Africa is Lesotho?

Image: Alistair Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc.

Founding Basoutoland:
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An Interim Political Authority (IPA), charged with reviewi ng the electoral structure in the c ountry, was created in December 1 998. The IPA devised aproportional electoral system to ensure that there be opposition in the National Assembly. The new system retained the existing 80 elected Assemblyseats, but added 40 seats to be filled on a proportional basis. Elections were held under this new system in May 2002, and the LCD won again.

Proportional RepresentationTo An Extent:

For the first time, due to the inclusion of proportional seats, opposition political parties won significant numbers of seats. Nine opposition parties now holdall 40 of the proportional seats, with the BNP having the largest share (21). The LCD has 79 of the 80 constituency-based seats. Although its electedmembers participate in the National Assembly, the BNP has launched several legal challenges to the elections, including a recount; none has beensuccessful.

The area now known as Lesotho ( pron.: / l su tu / ) goes back as many as 40,000 years. The present Lesotho (then called Basutoland) emerged as a single polity under paramount chiefMoshoeshoe I in 1822. Under Mashoeshoe I, Basutoland joined other tribes in their struggleagainst the Lifaqane associated with the reign of Shaka Zulu from 1818 to 1828.

Subsequent evolution of the state was shaped by contact with the British and Dutch colonists

from Cape Colony . Missionaries invited by Moshoeshoe I developed orthography and printedworks in the Sotho language between 1837 and 1855. The country set up diplomatic channelsand acquired guns for use against the encroaching Europeans and the Korana people. Territorialconflicts with both British and Boer settlers arose periodically, including Moshoeshoe's notablevictory over the Boers in the Free State-Basotho War , but the final war in 1867 with an appeal toQueen Victoria , who agreed to make Basutoland a British protectorate. In 1869, the Britishsigned a treaty at Aliwal with the Boers that defined the boundaries of Basutoland and laterLesotho, which by ceding the western territories effectively reduced Moshoeshoe's kingdom tohalf its previous size.

The extent to which the British exerted direct control over Basutoland waxed and waned until

Basutoland's independence in 1966, when it became the Kingdom of Lesotho . However, whenthe ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) lost the first post-independence general elections to theBasotho Congress Party (BCP), Leabua Jonathan refused to cede and declared himself TonaKholo (Sesotho translation of prime minister). The BCP began an insurrection that culminated ina January 1986 military coup forced the BNP out of office. Power was transferred to King Moshoeshoe II , until then a ceremonial monarch, but forced into exile when he lost favour withthe military the following year. His son was installed as King Letsie III . Conditions remainedtumultuous, including an August 1994 coup by Letsie III, until 1998 when the Lesotho Congressfor Democracy (LCD) came to power in elections which were deemed fair by internationalobservers. Despite protests from opposition parties, the country has remained relatively stablesince.

Contents

1 Ancient history 2 Basutoland 3 Kingdom of Lesotho 4 See also 5 References
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oranahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sotho_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Colonyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonisation_of_Africahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mfecanehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_politichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Keyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English


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6 External links

Ancient history

At some stage during their migration south from a tertiary dispersal area Bantu speaking peoplescame to settle the lands that now make up Lesotho as well as a more extensive territory of fertilelands that surround modern day Lesotho. These people spoke a unique "South Sotho" dialectseSotho and called themselves the Basotho . There were several severe disruptions to the Basotho

peoples in the early 19th century. Firstly marauding Zulu clans, displaced from Zululand as partof the Lifaqane (or Mfecane ), wrought havoc on the Basotho peoples they encountered as theymoved first west and then north. Secondly no sooner than the Zulu has passed to the north thanthe first Voortrekkers arrived, some of whom obtained hospitality during their difficult treknorth. Early Voortrekker accounts describe how the lands surrounding the mountain retreat of theBasotho had been burnt and destroyed, in effect leaving a vacuum that subsequent Voortrekkers

began to occupy.

However, this interpretation of history for the entire southern region of Africa has been refuted by Norman Etherington in The Great Treks: The Transformation of Southern Africa, 1815-1854 (Longman, 2001). Etherington argues that no such thing as the Mfecane occurred, the Zulu wereno more marauding than any other group in the region, and the land the Voortrekkers saw asempty was not settled by either Zulu or Basotho because those people did not value openlowland plains as pasture.This state has been colonization of many many European states.

Basutoland

See also: Basutoland

South Africa, Lesotho and Swazuiland in 1885.

In 1818, Moshoeshoe I (/m we we / ) consolidated various Basotho groupings and becametheir King. During Moshoeshoe's reign (1823-1870), a series of wars (1856 68) were foughtwith the Boers who had settled in traditional Basotho lands. These wars resulted in the extensiveloss of land, now known as the "Lost Territory".
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A treaty had been signed with the Boer of Griqualand in 1843 and an agreement made with theBritish in 1853 following a minor war. However, the disputes with the Boer over land wererevived in 1858 and more seriously in 1865. The Boer had a number of military successes,killing possibly 1,500 Basotho soldiers, and annexed an expanse of arable land which they wereable to retain following a treaty at Thaba Bosiu . In order to protect his people, Moshoeshoe

appealed to the British for assistance, and in March 1868 the land was placed under British protection and the Boer were ordered to leave. A treaty was signed at Aliwal in 1869 between theBritish and the Boer defining the boundaries of the protectorate, the arable land west of theCaledon River remained in Boer hands and is referred to as the Lost or Conquered Territory.Moshoeshoe died in 1870.

In 1871 the protectorate was annexed to Cape Colony . The Basotho resisted the British and in1879 a southern chief, Moorosi, rose in revolt. The rising was crushed and Moorosi was killed inthe fighting. The Basotho then began to fight amongst themselves over the division of Moorosi'slands. The British extended the Cape Peace Preservation Act of 1878 to cover Basutoland andattempted to disarm the natives. Much of the colony rose in revolt in the Gun War (1880-1881),

inflicting significant casualties upon the colonial British forces sent to subdue it. An 1881 peacetreaty failed to quell sporadic fighting.

Cape Town's inability to control the territory led to its return to crown control in 1884 as theTerritory of Basutoland. The colony was bound by the Orange River Colony , Natal Colony , andCape Colony it was divided into seven administrative districts - Berea, Leribe, Maseru, MohalesHock, Mafeteng, Qacha's Nek and Quthing. The colony was ruled by the British ResidentCommissioner, who worked through the pitso (national assembly) of hereditary native chiefsunder one paramount chief. Each chief ruled a ward within the territory. The first paramountchief was Lerothodi, the son of Moshoeshoe. During the Second Boer War the colony wasneutral. The population was around 125,000 (1875), 310,000 (1901) and 349,000 (1904).

When the Union of South Africa was founded in 1910 the colony was still controlled by theBritish and moves were made to transfer it to the Union. However the people of Basutolandopposed this and when the South African Nationalist party put its apartheid policies into placethe possibility of annexation was halted. In 1959, a new constitution gave Basutoland its firstelected legislature. This was followed in April 1965 with general legislative elections.

The differing fates of the seSotho-speaking peoples in the Protectorate of Basotholand and in thelands that became the Orange Free State are worth noting. The Orange Free State became aBoer -ruled territory. However at the end of the Boer War it was colonised by the British, and thiscolony was subsequently incorporated by Britain into the Union of South Africa as one of four

provinces. It is still part of the modern day Republic of South Africa , now known as the FreeState. In contrast Basotholand, along with the two other British Protectorates in the sub-Saharanregion (Bechuanaland and Swaziland ), was precluded from incorporation into the Union ofSouth Africa. These protectorates were individually brought to independence by Britain in the1960s in line with the trend towards self-government and independence that swept the BritishEmpire following the close of the Second World War, a trend that reached its peak in Africa inthe late 1950s and early 1960s. By becoming a protectorate Basotholand and its inhabitants werenot subjected to Afrikaner rule, which saved them from experiencing Apartheid, and so generally
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prospered under more benevolent British rule. Basotho resident in Basotholand had access to better health services and to education, and came to experience greater political emancipationthrough independence. These lands protected by the British, however, had a much smallercapacity to generate income and wealth than the "lost territory" had, which had been granted tothe Boers.

After a 1955 request by the Basutoland Council to legislate its internal affairs, in 1959 a newconstitution gave Basutoland its first elected legislature. This was followed in April 1965 withgeneral legislative elections with universal adult suffrage in which the Basotho National Party (BNP) won 31 and the Basutoland Congress Party (BCP) won 25 of the 65 seats contested.

Kingdom of Lesotho

On October 4, 1966, the Kingdom of Lesotho attained full independence, governed by aconstitutional monarchy with a bicameral Parliament consisting of a Senate and an elected

National Assembly . Early results of the first post-independence elections in January 1970indicated that the BNP might lose control. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Chief LeabuaJonathan , the ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) refused to cede power to the rivalBasotholand Congress Party (BCP), although the BCP was widely believed to have won theelections. Citing election irregularities, Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan nullified the elections,declared a national state of emergency, suspended the constitution, and dissolved the Parliament.In 1973, an appointed Interim National Assembly was established. With an overwhelming

progovernment majority, it was largely the instrument of the BNP, led by Prime MinisterJonathan. In addition to the Jonathan regime's alienation of Basotho powerbrokers and the local

population, South Africa had virtually closed the country's land borders because of Lesothosupport of cross-border operations of the African National Congress (ANC). Moreover, SouthAfrica publicly threatened to pursue more direct action against Lesotho if the Jonathangovernment did not root out the ANC presence in the country. This internal and externalopposition to the government combined to produce violence and internal disorder in Lesotho thateventually led to a military takeover in 1986.

Under a January 1986 Military Council decree, state executive and legislative powers weretransferred to the King who was to act on the advice of the Military Council, a self-appointedgroup of leaders of the Royal Lesotho Defense Force (RLDF). A military government chaired byJustin Lekhanya ruled Lesotho in coordination with King Moshoeshoe II and a civilian cabinetappointed by the King.

In February 1990, King Moshoeshoe II was stripped of his executive and legislative powers and

exiled by Lekhanya, and the Council of Ministers was purged. Lekhanya accused those involvedof undermining discipline within the armed forces, subverting existing authority, and causing animpasse on foreign policy that had been damaging to Lesotho's image abroad. Lekhanyaannounced the establishment of the National Constituent Assembly to formulate a newconstitution for Lesotho with the aim of returning the country to democratic, civilian rule by June1992. Before this transition, however, Lekhanya was ousted in 1991 by a mutiny of junior armyofficers that left Phisoane Ramaema as Chairman of the Military Council.
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Because Moshoeshoe II initially refused to return to Lesotho under the new rules of thegovernment in which the King was endowed only with ceremonial powers, Moshoeshoe's sonwas installed as King Letsie III. In 1992, Moshoeshoe II returned to Lesotho as a regular citizenuntil 1995 when King Letsie abdicated the throne in favor of his father. After Moshoeshoe IIdied in a car accident in 1996, King Letsie III ascended to the throne again.

In 1993, a new constitution was implemented leaving the King without any executive authorityand proscribing him from engaging in political affairs. Multiparty elections were then held inwhich the BCP ascended to power with a landslide victory. Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehleheaded the new BCP government that had gained every seat in the 65-member NationalAssembly. In early 1994, political instability increased as first the army, followed by the policeand prisons services, engaged in mutinies. In August 1994, King Letsie III, in collaboration withsome members of the military, staged a coup, suspended Parliament, and appointed a rulingcouncil. As a result of domestic and international pressures, however, the constitutionally electedgovernment was restored within a month.

In 1995, there were isolated incidents of unrest, including a police strike in May to demandhigher wages. For the most part, however, there were no serious challenges to Lesotho'sconstitutional order in the 1995-96 period. In January 1997, armed soldiers put down a violent

police mutiny and arrested the mutineers.

In 1997, tension within the BCP leadership caused a split in which Dr. Mokhehle abandoned theBCP and established the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) followed by two-thirds of the

parliament. This move allowed Mokhehle to remain as Prime Minister and leader of a new ruling party, while relegating the BCP to opposition status. The remaining members of the BCP refusedto accept their new status as the opposition party and ceased attending sessions. Multipartyelections were again held in May 1998.

Although Mokhehle completed his term as Prime Minister, due to his failing health, he did notvie for a second term in office. The elections saw a landslide victory for the LCD, gaining 79 ofthe 80 seats contested in the newly expanded Parliament. As a result of the elections, Mokhehle'sDeputy Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mosisili , became the new Prime Minister. The landslideelectoral victory caused opposition parties to claim that there were substantial irregularities in thehandling of the ballots and that the results were fraudulent. The conclusion of the LangaCommission, a commission appointed by Southern African Development Community (SADC) toinvestigate the electoral process, however, was consistent with the view of internationalobservers and local courts that the outcome of the elections was not affected by these incidents.Despite the fact that the election results were found to reflect the will of the people, opposition

protests in the country intensified. The protests culminated in a violent demonstration outside theroyal palace in early August 1998 and in an unprecedented level of violence, looting, casualties,and destruction of property. In early September, junior members of the armed services mutinied.The Government of Lesotho requested that a SADC task force intervene to prevent a militarycoup and restore stability to the country. To this end, Operation Boleas , consisting of SouthAfrican and (later) Botswana troops, entered Lesotho on September 22, 1998 to put down themutiny and restore the democratically elected government. The army mutineers were brought

before a court-martial .
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After stability returned to Lesotho, the SADC task force withdrew from the country in May1999, leaving only a small task force (joined by Zimbabwean troops) to provide training to theLDF. In the meantime, an Interim Political Authority (IPA), charged with reviewing the electoralstructure in the country, was created in December 1998 and devised a proportional electoralsystem to ensure that there be opposition in the National Assembly. The new system retained the

existing 80 elected Assembly seats, but added 40 seats to be filled on a proportional basis.Elections were held under this new system in May 2002, and the LCD won again, gaining 54%of the vote. For the first time, however, opposition political parties won significant numbers ofseats, and despite some irregularities and threats of violence from Major General Lekhanya,Lesotho experienced its first peaceful election. Nine opposition parties now hold all 40 of the

proportional seats, with the BNP having the largest share (21). The LCD has 79 of the 80constituency-based seats.

List of Kings of Lesotho

Succession

The Succession to the throne of Lesotho is laid down in Chapter V of the African kingdom'sconstitution. The current King is Letsie III .

Chapter V Article 45 of Lesotho's constitution reads that:

(1) The College of Chiefs may at any time designate, in accordance with the customary law ofLesotho, the person (or the persons, in order of prior right) who are entitled to succeed to theoffice of King upon the death of the holder of, or the occurrence of any vacancy in, that officeand if on such death or vacancy, there is a person who has previously been designated in

pursuance of this section and who is capable under the customary law of Lesotho of succeedingto that office, that person (or, if there is more than one such person, that one of them who has

been designated as having the first right to succeed to the office) shall become King.

(2) If, on the death of the holder of, or the occurrence of any vacancy in, the office of King, thereis no person who becomes King under subsection (1), the College of Chiefs shall, with all

practical speed and in accordance with the customary law of Lesotho, proceed to designate a person to succeed to the office of King and the person so designated shall thereupon becomeKing.

Paramount Chiefs of Lesotho (Basutoland, 1822 1966) Moshoeshoe I : 1822 18 January 1870 Letsie I Moshoeshoe : 18 January 1870 20 November 1891 Lerotholi Letsie : 20 November 1891 19 August 1905 Letsie II Lerotholi : 21 August 1905 28 January 1913 Nathaniel Griffith Lerotholi : 11 April 1913 July 1939 Simon Seeiso Griffith : 3 August 1939 26 December 1940

o Gabasheane Masupha (regent) : 26 December 1940 28 January 1941
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interim_Political_Authority&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interim_Political_Authority&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interim_Political_Authority&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_III_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_III_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_III_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_I_Moshoeshoe_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_I_Moshoeshoe_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lerotholihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lerotholihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_II_Lerotholihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_II_Lerotholihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Griffith_Lerotholihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Griffith_Lerotholihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seeiso_of_Basutolandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seeiso_of_Basutolandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabasheane_Masuphahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabasheane_Masuphahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabasheane_Masuphahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seeiso_of_Basutolandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Griffith_Lerotholihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_II_Lerotholihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lerotholihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_I_Moshoeshoe_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_III_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interim_Political_Authority&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe


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o Mantsebo Amelia 'Matsaba (regent) : 28 January 1941 12 March 1960 Moshoeshoe II : 12 March 1960 4 October 1966

Kings of Lesotho (1966 Present)

Name Lifespan Reignstart Reign

end Notes Family Image

Moshoeshoe II (1st reign )

2 May1938

15January

1996(aged 57)

4 October1966

12 November

1990(deposed )

Son of Simon SeeisoGriffith

Houseof

Moshesh

Letsie III (1st reign )

17 July1963(age 49)

12 November1990

25January

1995(abdicated )

Son of MoshoeshoeII

HouseofMoshesh

Moshoeshoe II (2nd reign )

2 May1938

15January

1996(aged 57)

25January

1995

15January

1996

Son of Simon SeeisoGriffith

Houseof

Moshesh

Letsie III (2nd reign )

17 July1963

(age 49)

7February

1996 Incumbent Son of MoshoeshoeII

Houseof

Moshesh

Royal Standards

Royal Standard of Lesotho 1966 1987.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantsebo_Amelia_%27Matsabahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantsebo_Amelia_%27Matsabahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_III_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_III_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_III_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_III_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Standard_of_Lesotho_(1966-1987).svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sin_foto.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moshoeshoe_II.,_Lekhanya.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sin_foto.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moshoeshoe_II.,_Lekhanya.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Standard_of_Lesotho_(1966-1987).svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sin_foto.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moshoeshoe_II.,_Lekhanya.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sin_foto.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moshoeshoe_II.,_Lekhanya.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Standard_of_Lesotho_(1966-1987).svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sin_foto.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moshoeshoe_II.,_Lekhanya.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sin_foto.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moshoeshoe_II.,_Lekhanya.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Standard_of_Lesotho_(1966-1987).svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sin_foto.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moshoeshoe_II.,_Lekhanya.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sin_foto.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moshoeshoe_II.,_Lekhanya.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Standard_of_Lesotho_(1966-1987).svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sin_foto.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moshoeshoe_II.,_Lekhanya.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sin_foto.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moshoeshoe_II.,_Lekhanya.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_III_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letsie_III_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshoeshoe_II_of_Lesothohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantsebo_Amelia_%27Matsaba


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Royal Standard of Lesotho 1987 2006.

Royal Standard of Lesotho from October 4, 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Standard_of_Lesotho.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Standard_of_Lesotho_(1987-2006).svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Standard_of_Lesotho.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Standard_of_Lesotho_(1987-2006).svg

Documents

The Basotho people.docx