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Lesotho

Lesotho (le-soo-too) is called Southern Africa’s ‘kingdom in the sky’ for good reason. This

stunningly beautiful, mountainous country is nestled island-like in the middle of South Africa

and it is a fascinating travel detour from its larger neighbour. The country offers superb

mountain scenery in forbidding terrain, a proud traditional people, endless hiking trails,

and the chance to explore remote areas on Basotho ponies.

The ‘lowland’ areas (all of which are still above 1000m) offer some craft shopping and

dinosaur footsteps, while the highlands in the northeast and centre feature towering peaks

(over 3000m) and verdant valleys.

Lesotho came into being during the early 19th century, when both the

difaqane

(forced

migration) and Boer incursions into the hinterlands were at their height. Under the leader-

ship of the legendary king Moshoeshoe the Great, the Basotho people sought sanctuary and

strategic advantage amid the forbidding terrain of the Drakensberg and Maluti Ranges. The

small nation they forged continues to be an intriguing anomaly in a sea of modernity.

Getting around is reasonably easy – ordinary hire cars will get you to most places; public

transport is extensive, albeit slow. Hiking or pony trekking from village to village are the

best ways of exploring.

LESOTHO

FAST FACTS

Area:

30,355 sq km

Capital:

Maseru

Country code:

266

Famous for:

Ponies, royalty, dams, Basotho

hats and blankets

Languages:

South Sotho, English

Money:

Loti (plural maloti)

Phrases:

khotso

(hello, or literally ‘peace’);

kea legoha

(thank you)

Population:

2.1 million

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L E S OT H O • • H i g h l i g h t s

135

HOW MUCH?

Traditional dance/cultural group

US$4.50-22

Internet

US$0.10-0.20 per minute

Coffee

US$0.35-1.20

Banana

US$0.15

Genuine (wool) Basotho blanket

US$60

LONELY PLANET INDEX

1L petrol

$0.90

1L bottled water

US$0.80-1

Bottle of beer

US$1

Souvenir T-shirt

US$4.50-9

Bag of fat cakes (fried savoury

donuts)

US$0.30

to the remote

Sehlabathebe National Park

(p147) or

Mt Moorosi

(p151).

One month

Head northeast to

Teyateyaneng

(p145) and

Butha-Buthe

(p146), with a side

trip to the beautiful

Bokong Nature Reserve

(p146) or

Ts’ehlanyane National Park

(p146).

Then take in some of the country’s most

impressive scenery on a circuit to

Mokhot-

long

(p147) and up to the magnificent

Sani

Top

(p147). Return to Maseru via

Thaba-

Tseka

(p146) and the

Katse Dam

(p145), or

via the

Mohale Dam

(p144) and

Roma

(p144),

before heading east to

Morija

(p149) and

following the two-week itinerary. Note:

unfortunately it’s difficult to circumnavi-

gate the country – the road between Seh-

labathebe in the east and Sehonghong in

the northeast requires a 4WD.

LESOTHO

CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO

Clear, cold winters, with frosts and snow (and

unpredictable changes) in the highlands, await

you in Lesotho, so pack warm clothing. During

summertime (late November to March), dra-

matic thunderstorms are common, as are all-

enveloping clouds of thick mist, and roads can

be affected by flooding rivers. Temperatures

at this time can rise to over 30°C in the val-

leys, though it’s usually much cooler in the

mountains, even dropping below freezing.

Most of Lesotho’s rain falls between October

and April. Throughout the year, the weather

is notoriously changeable.

Visits are possible at any time, with spring

and autumn optimal.

HIGHLIGHTS

Malealea

(p149) Pony trekking through

the rugged interior with breathtaking

scenery.

Sani Top

(p147) Absorbing the awesome

vistas from Sani Pass and hiking the chal-

lenging wilderness hikes of the northern

highlands.

Ts’ehlanyane National Park

(p146) Revelling

in the splendid isolation of this stunning

park.

Off the beaten track

(p148) Hiking from

Semonkong in the beautiful Thaba Putsoa

mountains to the Ketane Falls.

ITINERARIES

One week

From

Maseru

(p140), head south

Morija

(p149) where you’ll find Morija

Museum & Archives, a great museum

with Basotho culture displays. Continue

Malealea

(p149) or

Semonkong

(p148) –

the ‘gems’ of Lesotho – to go pony trek-

king. You may be able to squeeze in a

trip to

Quthing

(Moyeni; p150) to check

out the 180-million-year-old dinosaur

footprints.

Two weeks

Visit

Teyateyaneng

(p145), north

of Maseru, the craft centre of Lesotho, or

slightly further north,

Bokong Nature Re-

serve

(p146). Get a taste of the mountain-

ous ‘lowlands’ by heading to

Morija

(p149),

Malealea

(p149) or

Semonkong

(p148), and

Quthing

(p150). Continue northeast on

HISTORY

Lesotho was settled by Sotho peoples as late as

the 16th century. The Khoisan, and possibly

some Nguni people, lived among them, inter-

marrying and mingling their languages.

The early society was made up of small chief-

doms. Cattle and cultivation were the econ-

omy’s mainstays. Their products were traded

for iron from the northeast of South Africa.

By the early 19th century white traders

were on the scene, exchanging beads for cattle.

They were soon followed by the Voortrekkers

(Boer pioneers) and pressure on Sotho grazing

lands grew. Even without white encroach-

ment, Sotho society had to accept that it had

expanded as far as it could and would have to

adapt to living in a finite territory. On top of

this came the disaster of the

difaqane

(forced

migration; see p41).

136

L E S OT H O • • H i s t o r y

lonelyplanet.com

LESOTHO

Winburg

Rosendal

R707

To Bethlehem

(33km)

Clarens

Fouriesburg

Phuthadithaba

50 km

30 miles

FREE STATE

(SOUTH AFRICA)

R709

Marquard

R708

a le

ver

Mal

ama

Excelsior

Riv

To Bloemfontein

(207km)

Allandale

LESOTHO

Tweespruit

Marseilles

To Bloemfontein

(157km)

(Orang

Dinosaur

Footprints

Ficksburg

Ficksburg Bridge

Clocolan

Liphofung Cave

Maputsoe

Cultural Historical

Peka Bridge

Tsikoane

R703

Ts'ehlanyane

Peka

Site

Pitseng

Mafika-Lisiu

Koeneng

Pass (3090m)

Mapoteng

Bokong

Ha Lejone

Teyateyaneng

Monantsa Pass

Caledonspoort

Joel's Drift Khatibe

Butha-Buthe

Oxbow

Mount-aux-

'Muela

Moteng Pass

Sources

Subeng River

(2820m)

(3282m)

Khabo

Leribe (Hlotse)

Mothae

LEGEND

NP National Park

NR National Reserve

GR Game Reserve

FR Forest Reserve

R616

WA Wilderness Area

Wittebe

Champagne

Castle

(3377m)

Motsitseng

Ladybrand

Berea Plateau

Maseru

Bridge

Thaba-Bosiu

MASERU

Sefikeng

Qiloane Hill

Seshote

Sepinare

Katse

Ha Baroana

Nazareth

Mohale

Dam

Likalaneng

Katse

Dam

Mokhotlong

Molumong

Katse Dam

Visitors Centre

Upper

Giant's Castle

Hobhouse

Ngope Ts'oeu

Matsieng

Morija

hale

Jammersdrif Motsekuoa

Wepener

Makhakhe

Van Rooyens

Gate

Pitseng Gorge

Semonkong

Mafeteng

Botso'ela Waterfall

Pitseng Plateau

Malealea

Ketane Maletsunyane

Borata

Gates of

Falls (Lebehane) Falls

Qaba

Sephapo's

Paradise Pass

Gate

Masemouse

Mokopung

Mpharane

Matebeng

River

Matebeng

Pass

Mavuka

Paolosi

Thaba-

Marakabei

Tseka

Makhaleng

God Help

Mantsonyane

Taung

Mokhoabong

Me Pass

Pass

Ramabanta

Thaba Putsoa

LESOTHO

(3096m)

Mazenod

Qeme Plateau

Molimo-

Roma Nthuse

Upper

Rafolatsane

Thabana-

Ntlenyana

(3482m)

Linakeng

Sani Top

Sani Pass

Senqu

Sehonghong

Hodgson's

Peaks

Himeville

(3257m)

Underberg

nyane

Riv

Christ the

King Mission

Sekake

Nkonkoana Gate/

Bushman's Nek

Sehlabathebe NP

R617

Tsoelike

Makhaleng Bridge

Mohale's Hoek

Maletsunyane

River

Mt Moorosi

Sen

(Orange)

Mpiti

Qacha's Nek

Ramatseliso's

Gate

Mafube

Kingscote

KWAZULU-NATAL

(SOUTH AFRICA)

New Amalfi

Swartberg

Mphaki

Zastron

Mekaling

Mosehle

Palmietfontein

Quthing

Tele Bridge

(Moyeni)

Sterkspruit

Tosing

EASTERN CAPE

(SOUTH AFRICA)

Senq

rang

u (O

) Riv

Mt Moorosi

(2356m)

Ralebona

Qomoqomong

Ongeluksnek

Sigoga

Kinirapoort

Matatiele

Cedarville

Bonny

Ridge

Kokstad

Mount Fletcher

R392

Lundean's Nek

(2226m)

Lundean's Nek

Dinosaur

Footprints

Ben Macdhui

(3001m)

Tele

Falls

Lady Grey

The rapid consolidation and expansion of

the Zulu state under the leadership of Shaka

(see p41), and later Dingaan, resulted in a

chain reaction of turmoil throughout the

whole of Southern Africa. That the loosely

organised Southern Sotho society survived

this period was largely due to the abilities

of Moshoeshoe (pronounced mo-shesh) the

Great.

Moshoeshoe the Great

Moshoeshoe began as a leader of a small vil-

lage and in around 1820 he led his villagers

to Butha-Buthe (Place of Lying Down). From

this mountain stronghold his people survived

the first battles of the

difaqane

and in 1824

Moshoeshoe began his policy of assisting

refugees who helped in his defence. Later in

the same year he moved his people to Thaba-

Bosiu (Mountain at Night), a mountain top

that was even easier to defend.

From Thaba-Bosiu, Moshoeshoe played a

patient game of placating the stronger local

rulers and granting protection – as well as

land and cattle – to refugees. These people

were to form Basotholand, which, by the time

of Moshoeshoe’s death in 1870, had a popula-

tion of more than 150,000.

The welcome Moshoeshoe gave to mis-

sionaries, and his ability to take their ad-

vice without being dominated by them, was

another factor in Basotholand’s emergence

and survival. The first missionaries arrived

in 1833 from the Paris Evangelical Missionary

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L E S OT H O • • H i s t o r y

137

Society. In return for a degree of Christia-

nisation of Sotho customs, the missionaries

were disposed to defend the rights of ‘their’

Basotho against the new threat – British and

Boer expansion.

The Boers had crossed the Orange River

in the 1830s, and by 1843 Moshoeshoe was

sufficiently concerned by their numbers to

ally himself with the British Cape government.

The British Resident, installed in Basotholand

as a condition of the treaties, decided Moshoe-

shoe was too powerful and engineered an

unsuccessful attack on his kingdom.

In 1854 the British withdrew from the area,

having fixed the boundaries of Basotholand.

The Boers pressed their claims on the land,

and increasing tension led to the Free State–

Basotho Wars of 1858 and 1865. After success

in the first war, Moshoeshoe was forced in

the second to sign away much of his western

lowlands.

Moshoeshoe again called on British as-

sistance in 1868, this time on the imperial

government in London. A high commission

adjudicated the dispute and the result was the

loss of more Basotho land. It was obvious that

no treaty between Boers and Basotho would

hold for long. Continual war between the

Free State and Basotholand was not good for

British interests, so the British annexed Ba-

sotholand and handed it to the Cape Colony

to run in 1871.

of South Africa was created, Basotholand was

classified as a British Protectorate and was not

included in the Union.

Home Rule & Independence

In 1910 the advisory Basotholand National

Council was formed from members nomi-

nated by the chiefs. After decades of allega-

tions of corruption and favouritism, reforms

in the 1940s introduced some democratic

processes into council appointments.

In the mid-1950s the council requested

internal self-government from the British.

In 1960 a new constitution was in place and

elections were held for a Legislative Council.

Meanwhile, political parties had formed,

including the Basotholand Congress Party

(BCP), similar to South Africa’s African Na-

tional Congress (ANC), and the Basotholand

National Party (BNP), a conservative party

headed by Chief Leabua Jonathan.

The BCP won the 1960 elections, then de-

manded, and won, a new constitution that

paved the way to full independence from Brit-

ain in 1966. However, after the 1965 elections

the BCP lost power to the BNP, and Chief

Jonathan became the first prime minister of

the new Kingdom of Lesotho. During the elec-

tion campaign the BNP promised cooperation

with the South African apartheid regime and

in turn received massive support from it.

As most of the civil service was still loyal

to the BCP, Jonathan did not have an easy

time. Stripping King Moshoeshoe II of the few

powers that the new constitution had left him

did not endear Jonathan’s government to the

people, and the BCP won the 1970 election.

Jonathan responded to the election results

by suspending the constitution, arresting and

expelling the king, and banning opposition

parties. The king was eventually allowed to

return from exile in Holland, and Jonathan

attempted to form a government of national

reconciliation. This ploy was partly successful,

but some BCP members, including the leader

Ntsu Mokhehle, resisted and attempted to

stage a coup in 1974. The coup failed miser-

ably and resulted in the death of many BCP

supporters and the jailing or exile of the BCP

leadership.

Jonathan changed tack in his attitude to

South Africa, calling for the return of land

in the Orange Free State that had been stolen

from the original Basotholand, and, more

seriously from the South African point of

LESOTHO

After Moshoeshoe the Great

The year after Moshoeshoe the Great’s death,

squabbles over succession divided the coun-

try. The Cape government exploited this and

reduced the powers of chiefs, limiting them

to their individual areas.

The Gun War of 1880 began as a protest

against the Cape government’s refusal to allow

the Basotho to own firearms, but it quickly

became a battle between the rebel chiefs on

one side and the government and collaborat-

ing chiefs on the other. The war ended in a

stalemate with the Cape government being

discredited.

A shaky peace followed until another war

appeared imminent, and in 1884 the British

government again took direct control of Ba-

sotholand. The imperial government decided

to back strong local leaders rather than rule

through its own officers, which helped to

stabilise the country. One unexpected benefit

of direct British rule was that when the Union

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L E S OT H O • • H i s t o r y

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view, criticising apartheid, allegedly offering

refuge to ANC guerrillas, and flirting with

Cuba. Relations soured; South Africa closed

Lesotho’s borders, strangling the country.

The Lesotho military took action. Jonathan

was deposed in 1986 and the king was restored

as head of state. This was a popular move,

but eventually agitation for democratic re-

form rose again. In 1990 King Moshoeshoe

II was deposed by the army in favour of his

son, Prince Mohato Bereng Seeisa (Letsie

III). Elections in 1993 resulted in the return

of the BCP.

The BCP was split between those who

wanted Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle

to remain as leader and those who didn’t.

Mokhehle formed the breakaway Lesotho

Congress for Democracy (LCD) party and

continued to govern.

In 1995 Letsie III abdicated in favour of

his father and, five years after being deposed,

Moshoeshoe II was reinstated. He restored

calm to Lesotho after a year of unrest. Tragi-

cally, less than a year later he was killed when

his 4WD plunged over a cliff in the Maluti

Mountains. Letsie III was again made the

king.

LESOTHO

can Development Community (SADC) treaty

partners, Botswana, South Africa and Zim-

babwe, to help restore order. Troops, mainly

South African, invaded the kingdom.

Rebel elements of the Lesotho army put

up a strong resistance and there was a short

burst of heavy fighting in Maseru, where many

shops and other businesses were looted and

torched.

The government agreed to call new elec-

tions, but the political situation remained

tense and political wrangling delayed the elec-

tions until May 2002. The LCD won again

and Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili began

a second five-year term, which has until now

been peaceful.

Lesotho Today

The elections of 2007 may bring challenges

of another kind. Questions being considered

are whether to back Mosisili for a third term,

whether corruption is being tackled vigor-

ously enough, and whether the grass roots is

being neglected in favour of a more gentri-

fied party.

Meanwhile, Lesotho ranks among the re-

gion’s poorer countries, and has few natural

resources other than water and gem dia-

monds. During the last century, Lesotho’s

main export was labour – approximately 60%

of males worked mainly in mining in South

Africa. In the late 1990s, the restructuring

of the South African gold-mining industry,

mechanisation and the closure of some mines

resulted in huge job losses. Meanwhile, the

Lesotho economy – under transformation due

to a rapid growth of the textile industry – also

collapsed due to stiff competition from China

and changes to international agreements.

Elections, Invasion & Peace

Elections were held in 1998 amid accusations

of widespread cheating by the LCD, which

won with a landslide. Tensions between the

public service and the government became

acute, and the military was also divided.

Meanwhile, Mokhehle handed over to his

successor Pakalitha Mosisili.

Following months of protests, the govern-

ment realised it was losing control and in

September 1998 called on the Southern Afri-

FAMINE IN LESOTHO

Lesotho, particularly rural Lesotho, is extremely vulnerable to food shortages; the mountain

kingdom’s annual cereal production is declining because of unpredictable weather, long-term

soil erosion and the impact of HIV/AIDS. On top of this, the country faces trade constraints and

declining employment opportunities, leaving many vulnerable to food insecurity. Subsistence

farming used to be the main food source for most people, but today many rent out their land

for others to cultivate, thereby losing their ability to grow their own food. Per capita agricultural

production in real terms has been falling for decades, and today, tens of thousands of the most

vulnerable people are relying on external food aid. The World Food Programme estimates that

26% of the population is malnourished. Many people in the country’s lowlands do not have

access to water for domestic use, and travel long distances each day to fetch it, an irony given

that the Lesotho Highlands Water Project supplies South Africa with millions of cubic metres of

water each year (see the boxed text, p145).

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