Lesotho, officially known as the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country completely surrounded by South Africa.
It is located in the Maloti Mountains and encompasses the highest peaks in Southern Africa. Covering an area of more than 30,000 square kilometers, Lesotho is home to a population of approximately 2 million people.
Formerly known as the British Crown colony of Basutoland, Lesotho gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966.
It is now a fully independent nation and holds membership in various international organizations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community.
The name “Lesotho” can be interpreted as the “land of the Sotho” in English.
History
Basutoland came into existence as a unified entity under the rule of King Moshoeshoe I in 1822.
Moshoeshoe I, hailing from the Bakoteli lineage and the son of Mokhachane, a minor chief, established his own clan and assumed leadership around 1804.
From 1820 to 1823, Moshoeshoe and his followers settled at Butha-Buthe Mountain, where they joined forces with former adversaries to resist the upheaval known as the Lifaqane, associated with the reign of Shaka Zulu from 1818 to 1828.
The development of the state was influenced by conflicts involving British and Dutch colonists who left the Cape Colony following its seizure from the Dutch, who were aligned with the French, by the British in 1795.
The situation was further complicated by the Orange River Sovereignty and the subsequent Orange Free State.
Missionaries Thomas Arbousset, Eugène Casalis, and Constant Gosselin, sent by the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society and invited by Moshoeshoe I, established themselves at Morija.
Between 1837 and 1855, they contributed to the development of Sesotho orthography and the publication of works in the Sesotho language.
Casalis, acting as a translator and providing guidance on foreign affairs, assisted in establishing diplomatic channels and obtaining firearms to defend against encroaching Europeans and the Griqua people.
Trekboers from the Cape Colony arrived at the western borders of Basutoland and laid claim to its land.
The first among them was Jan de Winnaar, who settled in the Matlakeng area in 1838. Incoming Boers attempted to colonize the land situated between the two rivers and north of the Caledon River, asserting that it had been abandoned by the Sotho people.
In response, Moshoeshoe entered into a treaty with Sir George Thomas Napier, the British Governor of the Cape Colony, which led to the annexation of the Orange River Sovereignty where the Boers had settled.
When these disgruntled Boers launched an uprising in 1848, they were suppressed in a skirmish.
In 1851, the Basotho army defeated a British force at Kolonyama. After repelling another British attack in 1852, Moshoeshoe diplomatically appealed to the British commander, effectively resolving the dispute.
He went on to defeat the Batlokoa in 1853. The British withdrew from the region in 1854, and in 1858, Moshoeshoe engaged in a series of wars with the Boers, known as the Free State–Basotho War.
Consequently, Moshoeshoe lost a portion of the western lowlands. The final conflict with the Boers concluded in 1867 when Moshoeshoe appealed to Queen Victoria, who agreed to establish Basutoland as a British protectorate in 1868.
Journey to Independence
In 1966, Basutoland achieved independence from the United Kingdom and transformed into the Kingdom of Lesotho.
The Basotho National Party (BNP) governed the nation until January 1970, after which a de facto government led by Leabua Jonathan took control.
In January 1970, the ruling BNP lost the first post-independence general elections, securing 23 seats compared to the Basotho Congress Party’s (BCP) 36 seats.
Prime Minister Jonathan refused to relinquish power to the BCP and instead declared himself the prime minister, leading to the imprisonment of BCP leaders.
Subsequently, the BCP initiated a rebellion and received training in Libya, disguising themselves as Azanian People’s Liberation Army soldiers of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) to establish the Lesotho Liberation Army (LLA).
In 1978, the LLA faced challenges when the David Sibeko faction of the PAC deprived them of arms and supplies.
However, with financial aid from a Maoist PAC officer, the 178-strong LLA launched a guerrilla war after being rescued from their Tanzanian base.
They faced initial defeat in northern Lesotho but continued with sporadic attacks. The campaign faced difficulties when BCP’s leader, Ntsu Mokhehle, went to Pretoria.
In the 1980s, the Basotho sympathetic to the exiled BCP were threatened and attacked by the government of Leabua Jonathan.
Tragic events, such as the attack on Benjamin Masilo’s family and the abduction and murder of Edgar Mahlomola Motuba, the editor of Leselinyana la Lesotho newspaper, added to the turmoil.
In 1986, Leabua Jonathan was ousted in a coup, and the Transitional Military Council granted executive powers to King Moshoeshoe II, who had been a ceremonial monarch until then.
However, in 1987, the king was forced into exile due to disagreements over the constitution, which would have granted him more executive powers than initially agreed by the military government.
King Letsie III, his son, was installed as the new monarch. The military junta’s chairman, Major General Justin Metsing Lekhanya, was overthrown in 1991, and Major General Elias Phisoana Ramaema took over, eventually handing power to a democratically elected BCP government in 1993.
Moshoeshoe II returned from exile in 1992 as a regular citizen. After the return to democracy, King Letsie III tried unsuccessfully to reinstate his father (Moshoeshoe II) as head of state.
In August 1994, Letsie III staged a military-backed coup to depose the BCP government when they refused to reinstate his father, as mandated by Lesotho’s constitution.
Negotiations by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states led to the reinstatement of the BCP government, and Letsie III abdicated in favor of his father in 1995.
However, he ascended the throne again when Moshoeshoe II died in a car accident on 15 January 1996.
In 1997, the ruling BCP split due to leadership disputes, and Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle formed a new party, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD).
This led to LCD winning the general elections in 1998, but opposition protests escalated, leading to a demonstration outside the royal palace in August 1998.
The intervention of foreign forces resulted in conflict and destruction, leaving much of the capital city of Maseru in ruins.
An Interim Political Authority (IPA) was established in December 1998 to review the electoral structure, which resulted in a new proportional electoral system being implemented in May 2002.
The LCD won the elections with 54% of the vote, while opposition parties secured all 40 of the proportional seats. However, the elections faced legal challenges, including recounts, from the BNP.
On 30 August 2014, an alleged failed military coup occurred, causing then Prime Minister Thomas Thabane to seek refuge in South Africa for three days.
Thomas Thabane formally resigned as prime minister on 19 May 2020 amid pressure after being named a suspect in his ex-wife’s murder.
Moeketsi Majoro, an economist and former Minister of Development Planning, succeeded Thabane.
Lesotho was the last African nation to report a COVID-19 case, which was announced by the health ministry on 13 May 2020.
On 28 October 2022, Sam Matekane was inaugurated as Lesotho’s new Prime Minister after forming a coalition government.
Interesting Facts About Lesotho
1. Former Name and Independence: Lesotho, formerly known as Basutoland, is currently referred to as ‘The Kingdom of Lesotho.’ It gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 after a century of colonial rule.
2. Sani Pass: The treacherous Sani Pass in Lesotho has been recognized as one of the world’s most dangerous mountain passes.
3. Landlocked Country: Lesotho is a landlocked country, meaning it is surrounded by land and lacks direct access to the sea. Among the 45 landlocked countries and five partially recognized states worldwide, these nations often face economic challenges due to the limitations posed by their geographical situation.
4. Enclave Country: Lesotho’s unique geographical feature of being entirely surrounded by South Africa classifies it as an enclave country. The other two countries with similar characteristics are San Marino and Vatican City, both completely enclosed by Italy.
5. Meaning of Lesotho: The name Lesotho roughly translates to ‘Land of the Sesotho Speakers.’ The official language of Lesotho is Sesotho, and the term Mosotho refers to an individual from Lesotho, while Basotho refers to the people collectively.
6. National Flag: Lesotho’s national flag features a tricolor design with blue, white, and green stripes. The blue symbolizes the sky or rain, white represents peace, and green signifies prosperity. The center of the flag displays a black silhouette depicting a traditional Basotho straw hat called a mokorotlo.
7. “Kingdom of the Sky”: Lesotho is often referred to as the “Kingdom of the Sky” as it holds the distinction of being the only independent state entirely situated above 1,000m (3,281ft). With its highest point measuring 1,400m Lesotho also claims the title of having the “highest lowest point” among all countries.
8. Remarkable Diamond Discovery: In 2018, Lesotho made headlines when one of the largest diamonds ever found was discovered within its borders. This extraordinary gemstone weighed 910 carats, surpassing the size of a baseball. It stands as the fifth-largest rough diamond ever discovered and represents a significant milestone in Lesotho’s history.
Also read:Â http://15 Mouth-watering Lesotho Dishes
Source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesotho
