TIME: Almanac 1995

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<text id=93CT1757> <title> Lesotho--History </title> <history> Compact ALMANAC--CIA Factbook Southern Africa Lesotho </history> <article> <source>CIA World Factbook</source> <hdr> History </hdr> <body> Basutoland (now Lesotho) was sparsely populated by Bushmen (Qhuaique) until the end of the 16th century. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, an influx of refugees from tribal wars in surrounding areas populated the region. These new arrivals developed a fairly homogeneous cultural entity, the Basotho tribal group. Moshoeshoe (pronounced mo-SHWAY-shway) I, a northern tribal chief who ruled from 1823 to 1870, consolidated various Basotho tribes in 1818 that had been scattered earlier by Zulu and Matabele warriors. During his reign, a series of wars with South Africa (1856-68) resulted in the loss of extensive lands, now known as the "Lost Territory." Moshoeshoe appealed to Queen Victoria for assistance, and in 1868 the country was placed under British protection. For a long lime thereafter, the British administration was engaged in settling disputes, maintaining the position of the Paramount Chief under the system of "indirect rule," and resisting South African efforts to incorporate Basutoland into the Union of South Africa. From 1884 to 1959, legislative and executive authority was vested in a British High Commissioner. In 1910, the Basutoland Council, which was created informally in 1903, was formally established as a consultative body. In 1955, the Basutoland Council asked that it be empowered to legislate on internal affairs, and in 1959, a new constitution gave Basutoland its first elected legislature. The British then acceded to the people's desire to achieve full independence. Following a constitutional conference at London in 1964, general elections with universal adult suffrage were held in April 1965. The Basutoland National Party (BNP) won 31 seats in the 60-seat legislature; the Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), 25 seats; and the Maramatlou Freedom Party (MFP), 4 seats. On October 4, 1966, Basutoland attained full independence as the Kingdom of Lesotho. Early results of the January 27, 1970, election, the first held after independence, indicated that the ruling BNP might lose control. Citing election irregularities, Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan nullified the elections, declared a national state of emergency, suspended the constitution, and dissolved the Parliament. An appointed Interim National Assembly was established in 1973. With an overwhelming progovernment majority, it was largely the instrument of the BNP, led by Prime Minister Jonathan. In 1985, the government announced that elections would be held in September of that year. Due to opposition perceptions that laws and regulations governing candidacy requirements had been skewed in favor of the ruling BNP candidates and that constituency boundaries had been seriously gerrymandered, all opposition parties declined to name candidates for the elections. Under existing law, the government declared all noncontested electoral seats to have been won by the (sole) BNP candidates. Few observers considered the 1985 process to have been a legitimate electoral process. In January 1986, a bloodless coup d'etat took place that ousted the Jonathan government, replacing it with a Military Council headed by Maj. Gen. J. M. Lekhanya that now rules with King Moshoeshoe II and a civilian cabinet. Current Political Conditions Opposition to the rule of Prime Minister Jonathan and his party existed for a considerable period in Lesotho. It manifested itself in acts of violence directed against government and party officials and their property, public buildings, and infrastructure. In 1974, an attempt was made to overthrow the government, apparently instigated by elements of the BCP led by Ntsu Mokhehle. Mokhehle subsequently went into exile, and 1974-76 was marked by internal disorder. In 1979, the Mokhehleled military wing of the BCP--the Lesotho Liberation Army (LLA)--began a sporadic campaign of sabotage and armed attacks that continued, with varying degrees of intensity, through late 1985. The government alleged that the LLA had been given sanctuary in South Africa and the Transkei and Qwa Qwa homelands and that it received support from the South African Government. As a result the LLA's armed pressure, the government adopted a heightened security posture, which included enacting laws giving the government widened latitude to deal with those accused or suspected of terrorism, subversion, or sabotage. Government supporters, including the BNP Youth League, also were responsible for sporadic acts of intimidation and violence, especially in the months preceding the January 1986 coup d'etat. The reason for the military takeover in 1986 were complex. The Jonathan regime had alienated not only key Basotho power elements but also the general population. In addition, South Africa had virtually closed the land borders because of concerns over African National Congress (ANC) cross-border operations and was publicly threatening more direct action if the Jonathan government did not root out ANC presence in Lesotho. The new government adopted a policy of national reconciliation upon assuming power and did not engage in harsh reprisals against members of the former government. It called for the return of Basotho nationals from exile, although Ntsu Mokhehle rejected the government's amnesty offer. The LLA, while not agreeing to support the new government, has been notably quiescent since Jonathan's ouster. With the disarming of nonpolice and nonmilitary personnel after the coup and the absence of LLA activity, there has been a major improvement in personal security. The Basotho appear generally to accept the current political situation. Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, August 1990. </body> </article> </text>