Lesotho The Commonwealth Yearbook 2014 The Commonwealth Yearbook The most significant issue is overgrazing, resulting (capital, pop. 253,900 in 2010), Hlotse Mainly grassland and bushveld, with forest in ravines Mainly grassland and bushveld, with forest There are 5,940 km of roads, 18 per cent paved. South 5,940 km of roads, are There The Mountains are the last stronghold in the last stronghold The Drakensberg Mountains are The climate is temperate with well-marked seasons. The The climate is temperate with well-marked seasons. is a monarchy. is lowest point of 1,400 metres above sea level The country’s the highest lowest point of any country in the world. It has relatively very little forest, covering only one per cent of the land area. Project, Lesotho Through the Water exports water to South , which completely surrounds it. Did you know? African Railways runs a short freight line into Lesotho, terminating African Railways runs a short freight at the Maseru industrial estate. The international airport, 31 are Moshoeshoe I Airport, lies 20 km south of Maseru; there the country for domestic flights. airstrips around Africa is Thabana–Ntlenyana (3,842 metres) in eastern The Lesotho. (3,842 metres) Africa is Thabana–Ntlenyana to an arable belt, known as the land descends to the west of the and two-thirds the capital is situated lowlands, where in a generally dry is well-watered population live. The country the Caledon both rising in the and its tributary region, Lesotho. and on the windward slopes of mountains. Forest covers one per slopes of mountains. Forest and on the windward cent. and arable land comprises ten per cent of the land area at 0.5 per cent p.a. 1990–2010. increased cover Forest rainy season (receiving 85 per cent of total precipitation) is October 85 per cent of total precipitation) rainy season (receiving violent thunderstorms. Rainfall frequent are to April, when there in the lowlands range from averages 746 mm p.a. Temperatures in the mountains. 32.2°C to –6.7°C; the range is much greater the highlands with heavy snow falls in May to September, From occurring in the lowlands. frosts Vegetation: Vegetation: Wildlife: Main towns: Transport: Climate: Environment: in severe soil erosion and desertification. erosion soil in severe (45,300), Mafeteng (40,900), Teyateyaneng (27,100), Maputsoa (45,300), Mafeteng (40,900), Teyateyaneng Nek (17,100), Quthing Hoek (22,400), Qacha’s (23,100), Mohale’s (6,400), Mokhotlong (6,100) and Butha Buthe (5,900). of the huge bearded vulture, the lammergeier. vulture, southern Africa of the huge bearded stock farming, and Large mammals have largely been eradicated by to small now restricted species are indigenous ground-living (dassie). and the mountain-dwelling rock-rabbit antelope, hares Lesotho has two main mountain ranges – the Drakensberg and the Maloti ranges – both running north–south Drakensberg and the Maloti ranges – both running the northern high plateau. The highest mountain in southernfrom Topography: Topography: Area:Coastline:Capital:country entirely The Kingdom of Lesotho is a small landlocked by . It is known as the ‘Mountain surrounded in altitude. metres Kingdom’, the whole country being over 1,000 after the The country is divided into ten districts, each named none sq km 30,355 Maseru, Butha Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, principal town: Berea, Maseru Nek, Quthing and Thaba- Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha’s Mohale’s Tseka. UN HDI 2012: languages:Official Time:Currency: English Sesotho, world ranking 158 Geography loti, plural maloti (M) GMT plus 2hr KEY FACTS Joined Commonwealth:Population: 1966 GDP p.c. growth: 2.8% p.a. 1990–2012 2,052,000 (2012) Lesotho Society Economy

KEY FACTS 2012 KEY FACTS 2012 Population per sq km: 68 GNI: US$2.8bn Life expectancy: 49 years GNI p.c.: US$1,380 Net primary enrolment: 82% GDP growth: 5.0% p.a. 2008–12 Population: 2,052,000 (2012); 28 per cent of people live in urban Inflation: 6.5% p.a. 2008–12 areas; growth 1.1 per cent p.a. 1990–2012; birth rate 28 per 1,000 The economy of this landlocked and mountainous country is people (43 in 1970); life expectancy 49 years (49 in 1970 and 59 in inseparably linked with that of its much bigger and more 1990). developed neighbour, South Africa. A large number of Basotho work in South Africa – around 100,000 in the mid-1990s, falling to The people are mostly Basotho, with a few thousand expatriate 40,500 in 2010 – and most of the government’s income comes Europeans and several hundred Asians. from Southern African Customs Union import tariffs. Economic Language: Sesotho and English are official languages; Zulu and swings in South Africa are the biggest single influence on Lesotho’s Xhosa are also spoken. economy. Moreover, the country has one of the world’s highest HIV Religion: Mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 56 per cent, and infection rates. Lesotho Evangelicals and Anglicans 24 per cent); the rest hold

Commonwealth member countries Measures to diversify the economy have included encouragement traditional beliefs, which often coexist with Christianity. of manufacturing, particularly of clothing, textiles, leather goods Health: Public spending on health was nine per cent of GDP in and footwear, and of tourism, including establishment of a ski 2011. Some 78 per cent of the population uses an improved drinking water source and 26 per cent have access to adequate sanitation facilities (2011). Infant mortality was 74 per 1,000 live Real Growth in GDP births in 2012 (137 in 1960). Lesotho is vulnerable to AIDS and % 8 other sexually transmitted diseases; a high proportion of young men work in other countries with serious AIDS problems. In 2012, 7 23 per cent of people aged 15–49 were HIV positive. 6

Education: Public spending on education was 13 per cent of GDP 5

in 2008. Primary school comprises seven years and secondary five, 4 with cycles of three and two years. Some 66 per cent of pupils 3 complete primary school (2010). The school year starts in March. 2 Higher education institutions include National University of Lesotho; Lesotho Institute of Public Administration and Management; 1 Lesotho College of Education; Polytechnic; and Lesotho 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Agricultural College. Literacy among people aged 15–24 is 92 per cent (2010).

Media: There are several independent weekly newspapers in Inflation English, including Lesotho Times, Public Eye and Sunday Express, and Makatolle and MoAfrica in Sesotho. % 12

Radio is the most important source of information. Public 10 broadcasters Radio Lesotho and Lesotho Television provide national services. There are several private commercial and faith radio 8 stations. South African radio and TV are received in Lesotho. 6 Some 13 per cent of households have TV sets (2006). There are three personal computers per 1,000 people (2005). 4

Communications: Country code 266; internet domain ‘.ls’. Mobile 2 phone coverage is confined to the main towns. 0 There are internet cafés in Maseru. Post office branches can be 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 found in all the main cities.

There are 25 main telephone lines, 753 mobile phone subscriptions and 46 internet users per 1,000 people (2012). GDP by Sector (2012)

Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Moshoeshoe’s Day (11 March), Workers’ Day (1 May), Africa/Heroes’ Day (25 May), King’s Birthday Agriculture 8.2% (17 July), Independence Day (4 October), Christmas Day and Boxing Industry 33.5% Day. Services 58.3% Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Good Friday, Easter Monday and Ascension Day.

The Commonwealth Yearbook 2014 resort in the Drakensberg. Manufacturing output grew by some ten Politics Lesotho per cent p.a. during the 1980s and by more than seven per cent p.a. in the 1990s; it surged in the early 2000s but declined during Last elections: 26 May 2012 the rest of the decade. The manufacturing sector’s contribution to Next elections: 28 February 2015 GDP fell from 22 per cent in 2006 to 12 per cent in 2012. With Head of state: King Letsie III (1990–95; 1996–) the support of the IMF, economic policy has focused on investment Head of government: Prime Minister Tom Thabane in education, developing the private sector and more effective Ruling party: coalition of All Basotho revenue collection. Convention, Lesotho Congress for Democracy and Basotho National From 2005 exporters of textiles and clothing faced stronger Party competition in the US market from Asian producers, as their Women MPs: 27% quotas were raised. But in 2006 measures under the US African In the first elections following the introduction of an element of Growth and Opportunity Act underpinned a recovery in the proportional representation, in May 2002, the Lesotho Congress clothing industry and diamond production rose. for Democracy (LCD) took 77 seats and 54.9 per cent of the votes, The strong growth of the 1990s was interrupted by the outbreak the Basotho National Party (BNP) 21 and 22.4 per cent, and eight of political unrest in late 1998. There was large-scale damage to other parties each gained seats. Bethuel was property and loss of an estimated 4,000 jobs. The economy was again sworn in as Prime Minister. The Commonwealth observer plunged into recession and contracted by nearly five per cent in group present for the elections said that the conditions existed for 1998, compounded by rising unemployment due to the return of a free expression of the will of the voters. migrant mine workers. In October 2006, Tom Thabane resigned as a minister in the LCD It only recovered in 2000, with a resumption of good growth in government to form a new political party, the All Basotho 2001 and this was sustained through the 2000s, until it slowed Convention (ABC). Sixteen LCD MPs and one independent slightly in response to the global economic downturn in 2008–09, defected with him, making the ABC the third largest party in the picking up again in 2010 (with growth of 7.9 per cent), with 18 members. continuing with steady growth of about four per cent p.a. in In the February 2007 general election, which was observed by a 2011–14. Commonwealth expert team, Mosisili and the ruling LCD were Energy returned to power, winning 62 seats. The National Independent The Highlands Water Development Project, undertaken jointly with Party took 21 seats and ABC 17, mainly in urban areas. South Africa and begun in 1986, has made the country self- After the 2007 elections a political impasse arose following a sufficient in electricity and is providing income by supplying South dispute on the allocation of seats in Parliament. Subsequent Africa with water. The project comprises a series of dams and mediation efforts at resolving the dispute were led by a Southern tunnels, which will take water from the Orange river and tributaries African Development Community (SADC) Special Envoy, Sir in the Maloti mountains northwards to the Vaal industrial basin in Ketumile Masire, and the Christian Council of Lesotho. South Africa. The first phase included construction of a 185-metre dam at Katse – the highest in Africa – and was completed in 1996. In February 2012 Mosisili and 44 other members left the ruling The whole scheme is projected to be completed by 2020 and has LCD to form a new party, the Democratic Congress (DC). already provided substantial spin-off benefits of improvements in A general election in May 2012, with Commonwealth observers infrastructure and employment. present, resulted in a peaceful transfer of power when Pakalitha Mosisili was succeeded by ABC leader Tom Thabane, the first Constitution change of PM since 1998. Mosisili’s DC won 48 seats, the ABC 30, the LCD 26 and the BNP 5. Though the DC had the most seats it Status: National monarchy did not have a working majority; the three opposition parties : Parliament of Lesotho agreed to form a coalition government; Parliament elected Independence: 4 October 1966 Thabane Prime Minister; and he was sworn in on 9 June 2012. Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy. The present constitution In June 2014, after divisions appeared in the ruling coalition and a came into force in 1993, shortly after the return to multiparty motion of no confidence had been called against Prime Minister democracy, and was amended in 2001 to introduce an element of Thabane, he prorogued Parliament. On 30 August 2014 Thabane proportional representation. The monarch is head of state, the fled to South Africa, alleging that the army had attempted to take succession being ratified by the College of Chiefs. The Prime power and saying that he feared for his life. The South African Minister is head of government and appoints a cabinet. Government provided a security escort so that Thabane was able to The legislature has two chambers: the National Assembly which is return to Lesotho in early September 2014. SADC initiated a elected for a five-year term, with 80 seats elected on a first-past- process of mediation between the political stakeholders, which was the-post basis, and 40 by means of proportional representation; facilitated by South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. This and the non-elected Senate with 33 members, comprising 11 resulted in the signing of the Maseru Facilitation Declaration on 2 nominated by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister and October 2014 which committed all political parties to the the 22 principal chiefs of Lesotho. reconvening of Parliament on 17 October 2014; to limiting the business of the current Parliament to discussion of the budget and all matters related to the holding of elections; and to the holding of elections in February 2015, on a date to be set by King Letsie III.

The Commonwealth Yearbook 2014 Commonwealth member countries The Commonwealth Yearbook 2014 History in powerforfiveyears,butneverachieved stability. Lekhanya was remainedFollowing thecoupof1986,Lekhanya government inasmonarchLetsie III,whowassworn inNovember1990. was sentintoexileand, the militarycouncilarrested andnineministersdismissed.TheKing on theadviceofamilitarycouncil;butin1990Lekhanyahadhalf Lekhanya. Lekhanyathenreinstated theKing,whowastogovern overthrown inamilitarycoup1986,ledbyMajor-General Justin involved inpolitics)andrepressed opposition;buthewashimself exiled theKing(laterallowinghimtoreturn butnottobecome country’s secondelectionsandsuspendedtheconstitution.He soon becamestrained,andin1970,ChiefJonathanannulledthe Relations betweentheKingandcountry’s firstPrimeMinister joined theCommonwealth. on 4October1966withChiefJonathanasPrimeMinister, and Congress Party(BCP).Lesothobecameindependent (BNP) ledbyChiefLeabuaJonathan,narrowly defeatedthe Elections were heldin1965,which theBasothoNationalParty king. Thelegislature, untilthenunicameral, becamebicameral. operation. MoshoeshoeII,ParamountChieffrom 1960,became formed andfiveyearslateranewconstitutioncameinto In 1960,alegislature, theBasutoland NationalCouncil,was subsequently becameelectedmembers. included 99nominatedmembers,around halfofwhom Basutoland Councilwasthensetupasanadvisorybodyand and Basutolandpreferred toremain aBritishcolony. The Africa in1910;divisionalongraciallineswasalready entrenched rule. Itresisted incorporationintothe proposed UnionofSouth it wasremoved from Capecontrol andcameunderdirect British 1871 BasutolandwasannexedtotheCapeColonybut,in1884, begun workingintheKimberlydiamondfieldsofCape.In divided thecountry. From 1870,migrantBasothoworkershad Moshoeshoe diedin1870anddisputesoverthesuccession frontiers, substantiallyunchangedtoday, were laiddownin1869. country wasthencalled)grantedBritishprotection. The Republic oftheOrangeFree State.In1868Basutoland(asthe preferred toannexationbytheBoers,thenestablishingtheir sought theprotection oftheBritishCrown he –analternative Great Trek in1834,search ofnewterritory. Moshoeshoe A newthreat thenemerged:theemigrantBoerssetoutontheir advise himonnegotiationswithEuropeans. whom heencouragedtoestablishmissionsandschools, good relationships withmissionaries,especiallyFrench Catholics, numbering some40,000.Hewasalsosuccessfulatestablishing local Basothoandothertribalgroups, hisfollowingthen Bosiu nearMaseruin1824,Moshoeshoebecamechiefofthe rivals. Aftersuccessfulresistance from hisstronghold atThaba kingdom hecreated tolongoutlivethoseofhismuchstronger limited militarypower, Moshoeshoe’s diplomaticskillsallowedthe protect themselvesagainstZuluandMatabeleraids.Despitehis retreated borders tothenorth-western ofpresent-day Lesotho to the Bakwena,gathered afollowingamongthetribeswhohad outstanding leader. Around 1820,MoshoeshoeI,aminorchiefof The Basothowere weldedintoanationrelatively recently byone history canbetracedinrock-art invarioussitesthemountains. century, minglingpeacefullywiththeearlierKhoisanwhose Lesotho wassettledbytheSothopeoplesometimein16th in absentia , deposedinfavourofhisson, representation. the-post basisandfurther40seats bymeansofproportional parliament, thelegislationallowed for 80seatsonafirst-past- and theelectionswere delayed.Whenfinallyapproved by representation seatsandthe arrangementsforvoterregistration, between thepoliticalpartieson numberofproportional However, itthentook alongtimeforagreement tobereached oversee preparations fornewelectionswithin18months. December 1998,aninter-party committeewasestablished to December 1998andcompletelywithdrawninMay1999.In The SouthAfricanmilitarycontingentwasreduced insize Maseru, thesituationwaseventuallystabilised. LDF, resulting inatleast80deathsandlarge-scalelooting days offightingbetweentheSADCforce andelementsinthe Lesotho inresponse tothegovernment’s appeal.Afterseveral On 22September1998aSouthAfrican-ledSADCforce entered calledonSADCforassistance. the LCDgovernment mutinied and,withthesecuritysituationinLesothodeteriorating, could bemade,partsoftheLesothoDefenceForces (LDF) and oppositionpartieswere attempted. Butbefore progress failed tosettlethedispute.Furthertalksbetweengoverning the LangaCommissiondelivered aninconclusivereport, which After conductinghearingsinMaseruandare-count ofthevotes, investigate theallegations. by aSouthAfricanjudge,PiusLanga,wassenttoLesotho AfricanDevelopmentCommunity(SADC)andchairedSouthern African andZimbabweanexpertsundertheauspicesof Deputy President ThaboMbeki,ateamofBotswanan,South Maseru. FollowingtheinterventionofthenSouthAfrican gathered atandthencampedinfront oftheRoyalPalacein August 1998.Stay-awaystrikeswere organisedandcrowds first increasingly vigorous campaignofprotest reached apeakin results, allegingthatthere hadbeengross irregularities. An However, theoppositionpartiesrefused toaccepttheelection to succeed79-year-old NtsuMokhehleasPrimeMinister. elections theLCDchoseBethuelPakalithaMosisili,partyleader, The BNPtookoneseatwith24percentofthevotes.Following 80 NationalAssemblyseatswithjustover60percentofthevotes. (LCD). InthegeneralelectioninMay1998LCDwon79of defected tothenewlyestablishedLesothoCongress forDemocracy when manyofitsmembersincludingPrimeMinisterMokhehle The BCPlostitsmajorityandjoinedtheoppositioninmid-1997 the CollegeofChiefson7February1996. inforthesecondtimeby car accident.KingLetsieIIIwassworn almost exactlyoneyearlater, KingMoshoeshoewaskilledina General. Hewasreinstated asmonarch inJanuary1995.But reconciliation process assistedbytheCommonwealthSecretary- Moshoeshoe II,whohadreturned from Londonfollowinga King LetsieIIIthenabdicatedinfavourofhisfather, King Jonathan’s BNPwithoutrepresentation inthehouse. Mokhehle, wonall65seatsinthenewNationalAssemblyleaving observerspresent,and otherinternational theBCP, ledbyDrNtsu elections. Attheelections,inMarch 1993,withCommonwealth constitution (effectively restoring theoldone),andscheduled repealed thebanonpoliticalactivity, introduced anew command, EliasPhitsoaneRamaema,in1991.Ramaema himself overthrown inabloodlesscoupbyhissecond-in- International relations Further information Lesotho

Lesotho is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group Lesotho Government Portal: www.gov.ls of States, African Union, Non-Aligned Movement, Southern African Independent Electoral Commission: www.iec.org.ls Customs Union, Southern African Development Community, Lesotho Bureau of Statistics: www.bos.gov.ls United Nations and World Trade Organization. Central Bank of Lesotho: www.centralbank.org.ls Traveller information Visit Lesotho: visitlesotho.travel Commonwealth Secretariat: www.thecommonwealth.org Immigration and customs: Passports must be valid for at least six months from the date of departure. Visas are required by most Commonwealth of Nations: www.commonwealthofnations.org/country/Lesotho Commonwealth nationals. Prohibited imports include some fresh food. Media Lesotho Times: lestimes.com Travel within the country: Traffic drives on the left. Car hire is Public Eye: publiceye.co.ls available in Maseru with an international driving permit. Paved Sunday Express: sundayexpress.co.ls roads connect the main towns but outside these areas the road Lesotho News Agency: www.lena.gov.ls network is underdeveloped and the terrain often difficult.

A good bus network connects the major towns but can be slow. Minibuses are quicker but can only cover shorter distances. There is no passenger rail service in Lesotho.

Travel health: Prevalent diseases where appropriate precautionary measures are recommended include cholera, diphtheria, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies and typhoid.

There were 398,000 tourist arrivals in 2011.

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The Commonwealth Yearbook 2014