Lesotho
Lesotho, 1966 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
Lesotho is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, surrounded by South Africa. It achieved independence in 1966, and was subsequently ruled by the Basotho National Party (BNP) for two decades. Its constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. Moshoeshoe II died and his son Letsie III took the throne, which he still holds.
Seat of power: Maseru
Rulers
Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho
King of Lesotho, 1966–1990
He was King of Lesotho from 1966 until his exile in 1990, and from 1995 until his death in 1996. Moshoeshoe's political power was always limited, and his reign was interrupted twice.
Portrait of Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho: Joost Evers / Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, file
Mamohato of Lesotho
King of Lesotho, 1970–1970
She served as the Regent Head of State of Lesotho on three occasions, from 5 June to 5 December 1970, 10 March to 12 November 1990 and 15 January to 7 February 1996.
Mamohato of Lesotho
King of Lesotho, 1990–1990
During the political turmoil of 1970 and 1990, and for a month after his death in 1996, 'Mamohato acted as regent.
Hae Phoofolo
Prime Minister of Lesotho, 1994–1994
He served as interim prime minister of Lesotho from 17 August 1994 to 14 September 1994. His close relationship with the monarchy led to his appointment as prime minister by King Letsie III in 1994.
Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho
King of Lesotho, 1995–1996
He was restored to the throne in 1995. In 1996, he was killed in a car accident, and Letsie became King again a month later.
Portrait of Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho: Joost Evers / Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, file
Mamohato of Lesotho
King of Lesotho, 1996–1996
She was the wife of King Moshoeshoe II and the mother of King Letsie III, Prince Seeiso and Princess Constance Christina 'Maseeiso.
Pakalitha Mosisili
Prime Minister of Lesotho, 1998–2012
He was the fourth prime minister of Lesotho from May 1998 to June 2012 and again from March 2015 to June 2017. He led the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) to a near-total victory in the 1998 election, and under his leadership the party also won majorities in the 2002 and 2007 elections.
Portrait of Pakalitha Mosisili: Pakalitha_Mosisili_with_Obamas.jpg: Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson derivative work: Entheta (talk), Public domain, file
Tom Thabane
Prime Minister of Lesotho, 2012–2015
He was the fifth Prime Minister of Lesotho from 2012 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2020. After more than five years in opposition, he built a coalition of 12 parties in the wake of the 2012 Lesotho parliamentary election and was appointed prime minister. He founded the All Basotho Convention (ABC) in 2006 and led the party until 2022.
Portrait of Tom Thabane: Amanda Lucidon / White House, Public domain, file
Pakalitha Mosisili
Prime Minister of Lesotho, 2015–2017
Following the snap election held on 28 February 2015, he formed and led a coalition government. He was sworn in on 17 March 2015.
Portrait of Pakalitha Mosisili: Pakalitha_Mosisili_with_Obamas.jpg: Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson derivative work: Entheta (talk), Public domain, file
Tom Thabane
Prime Minister of Lesotho, 2017–2020
Thabane went on to win a plurality of seats in the subsequent parliamentary election and returned as prime minister.
Portrait of Tom Thabane: Amanda Lucidon / White House, Public domain, file
Moeketsi Majoro
Prime Minister of Lesotho, 2020–2022
He served as the sixth prime minister of Lesotho from May 2020 to October 2022. He was previously the minister of Finance in the cabinet of Tom Thabane from 2017 to 2020.
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Sam Matekane
Prime Minister of Lesotho, 2022 to today
He is the current Prime Minister of Lesotho since 2022. In March 2022, Matekane held a press conference at his hotel, and formed the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) party. Matekane self-funded a political campaign with a heavy social media presence and won the 2022 Lesotho General Election.
Portrait of Sam Matekane: United States Department of State Africa U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit: Photos and Videos, Public domain, file
Culture
- Lesotho is located in the Maloti Mountains, with the highest peak in southern Africa.
- The Sotho ethnic group (also known as Basotho), from which the country derives its name, comprises 99.7% of the country's current population, making it one of the most ethnically homogeneous in the world.
- Missionaries Thomas Arbousset, Eugène Casalis and Constant Gosselin from the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society, invited by Moshoeshoe I, were placed at Morija, developing Sesotho orthography and printed works in the Sesotho language between 1837 and 1855.
- The name Maseru is a Sesotho word meaning "red sandstones".
Picture
Maseru is the capital and largest city of Lesotho.
Image: Lschefa, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.