Abstract
The Basotho nation was constituted in the 19th century under the leadership of Moshoeshoe I, bringing together refugees from disparate tribes scattered by Zulu expansionism in southern Africa. After war with land-hungry Boer settlers in 1856 (and again in 1886), Moshoeshoe appealed for British protection. This was granted in 1868, and in 1871 the territory was annexed to the Cape Colony (now Republic of South Africa), but in 1883 it was restored to the direct control of the British government through the High Commissioner for South Africa. In 1965 full internal self-government was achieved under King Moshoeshoe II. On 4 Oct. 1966 Basutoland became an independent and sovereign member of the British Commonwealth as the Kingdom of Lesotho. Chief Leabua Jonathan, leader of the Basotho National Party and prime minister from 1965, suspended the constitution when the elections of 1970 were declared invalid. On 20 Jan. 1986, after a border blockade by the Republic of South Africa, Chief Jonathan was deposed in a bloodless military coup led by Maj.-Gen. Justin Lekhanya who granted significant powers to the king. King Moeshoeshoe II was deposed in Nov. 1990 and replaced by King Letsie III.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
Further Reading
Bureau of Statistics. Statistical Reports. [Various years]
Haliburton, G. M., A Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Metuchen (NJ), 1977
Johnston, D., Lesotho. [Bibliography] 2nd ed. ABC-Clio, Oxford and Santa Barbara (CA), 1996
Machobane, L. B. B. J., Government and Change in Lesotho, 1880–1966: A Study of Political Institutions. Macmillan, Basingstoke, 1990
Rosenberg, Scott, Weisfelder, Richard F. and Frisbie-Fulton, Michelle, (eds.) Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland, 2003
National Statistical Office: Bureau of Statistics, PO Box 455, Maseru 100.
Website: http://www.bos.gov.ls/
Editor information
Copyright information
© 2007 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Turner, B. (2007). Lesotho. In: Turner, B. (eds) The Statesman’s Yearbook 2008. The Statesman’s Yearbook. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-74024-6_206
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-74024-6_206
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4039-9277-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-74024-6
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)