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Lesotho
Negotiated constitutional independence for a British High Commission territory enclaved within South Africa.
- Independence
- October 4, 1966
- Before
- Basutoland
- Metropole
- United Kingdom
- Leader
- Leabua Jonathan
- Transition
- Negotiated
- Movement
- Basotho National Party (BNP)
Moshoeshoe and British Protection
King Moshoeshoe I built the Basotho nation in the nineteenth century and, after losing much land in wars with the Orange Free State, secured British protection by proclamation on 12 March 1868. Basutoland was annexed to the Cape Colony in 1871; after the Gun War of 1880–81, in which the Basotho resisted disarmament, the Cape gave it up and from 1884 it was ruled directly by Britain as a High Commission territory, entirely surrounded by what became South Africa.
Parties and the 1965 Election
The Basutoland Congress Party, formed by Ntsu Mokhehle in 1952 and modelled on the ANC, pioneered nationalist politics. Chief Leabua Jonathan's Basutoland National Party, founded in 1958 with the support of the Roman Catholic Church and the South African government, won the 1965 elections narrowly, with a majority of two seats (31 of 60) on about 42 per cent of the vote. Jonathan lost his own seat at Manka; his deputy, Chief Sekhonyana Maseribane, led the government until Jonathan won a by-election at Mpharane and became Prime Minister on 5 July 1965.
Independence Under a Constitutional King
Lesotho became independent on 4 October 1966 as a constitutional monarchy, with Moshoeshoe II as King and Jonathan as Prime Minister, over the objections of the opposition parties, which had walked out of the June 1966 London conference. Tension began at once: when the King sought powers beyond those the constitution allowed, Jonathan placed him under house arrest in December 1966 until he agreed to honour it.
Chronology
- 12 March 1868 — Basutoland placed under British protection
- 1871 — Basutoland annexed to the Cape Colony
- 1880–1881 — Gun War against Cape rule
- 1884 — Direct British rule restored as a High Commission territory
- 1965 — BNP narrowly wins pre-independence elections
- 4 October 1966 — Independence
- January 1970 — Jonathan suspends the constitution after the election
Aftermath
When the January 1970 election produced a BCP majority, Jonathan withheld the results, declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and ruled by decree, temporarily exiling the King. He was overthrown by a military coup led by Major General Justin Lekhanya on 20 January 1986, shortly after South Africa had closed the border. Lesotho remains economically dependent on South Africa.
Legacy
Surrounded by apartheid South Africa, Lesotho's sovereignty was heavily constrained. Its post-independence history has been marked by deep partisan polarisation and repeated military involvement in politics.