576 LESOTHO — Introduction modernoverland.com modernoverland.com Introduction — LESOTHO 577 Lesotho The small landlocked country of Lesotho sits atop of the Maluti mountain range and is completely surrounded by South Africa. Commonly referred to as the “kingdom in the sky,” the country’s lowlands sit at over 1,400 meters above sea level with parts of the highlands reaching well above 3,000 meters. Naturally isolated because of its elevation, many rural villages in the highlands are only accessible on foot or pony and have changed little over the years. Villages are still ruled by a village chief and extended family structures remain the base of village communities. Subsistence farming, raising of livestock, and preparing meals over an open fire are the dominant daily activities. Lesotho is far less developed and gets far fewer visitors than many nearby countries, two great reasons to head into the mountains and experience the welcoming hospitality of the Basotho people. LESOTHO LESOTHO 578 LESOTHO — Highlights modernoverland.com modernoverland.com Highlights — LESOTHO 579 ClarensClarens R712 R712 N3 N3 R70 R70 R707 R707 iv. iv. R708 R708 re Rre R kha kha CH A PTER FouriesburgFouriesburg ho ho R74 R74 R616 R616 MarquardMarquard R711 oR711 o H IGH L IGHTBrandfortS Brandfort M M N1 N1 Joel’s DriftJoel’s Drift R600 R600 R709 R709 CaledonspoortCaledonspoort KhatibeKhatibe BergvilleBergville N3 N3 Lesotho R708 R708 A1 A1 R26 R26 OxbowOxbow TweespruitTweespruit Butha-Butha- Malealea – Visit a century- A1 A1 WintertonWinterton N1 N1 FicksburgFicksburg ButheButhe old trading post, then take a R703 R703 ClocolanClocolan R711 R711 pony trek to a home stay in a FREEFREE R26 R26 LeribeLeribe K WAK WA Z U Z L U U L U mountain village (p600) ExcelsiorExcelsiorSTATESTATE Peka BridgePeka Bridge FicksburgFicksburg Bridge Bridge NATALNATAL MothaeMothae Semonkong – Ascend into Peka Peka r PitsengPitseng r R26 R26 e KoenengKoeneng A25 A25 e the mountains to Semonkong R709 R709 v A1 A1 v i and can enjoy the slow pace i R Ha LejoneHa Lejone R BloemfonteinBloemfontein MapotengMapoteng of life surrounded by some of u TeyateyanengTeyateyaneng A1 A1 u q q the country’s best waterfalls N8 N8 N8 N8 LadybrandLadybrand n n (p597) TweespruitTweespruit SefikengSefikeng RictersveldRictersveld e e S S A1 A1 NationalNational Park Park SeshoteSeshote – MokhotlongMokhotlong Morija Wander through this pleasant and tranquil MaseruMaseru UpperUpper R709 R709 RafolatsaneRafolatsane town just 45 minutes from MaseruMaseru Bridge Bridge NazarethNazareth Katse KatseA25 A25 R26 R26 Ha NtsiHa Ntsi Maseru, home to the coun- A3 A3 MohaleMohale MazenodMazenod DamDam try’s oldest building and only A1 A1 . RomaRoma LikalanengLikalaneng museum (p598) iv iv A2 A2 Tsaba TsabaTseka Tseka LinakengLinakeng R R A3 A3 are are A5 A5 kh kh MarakabeiMarakabei MantsoyaneMantsoyane ho ho MorijaMorija MatsiengMatsieng SaniSani Sani Pass – Enjoy a frosty R702 R702 o o M M NgopeNgope Ts’oeu Ts’oeu PassPass Sani PassSani Pass beer at the “highest pub TaungTaung in Africa” after navigating R26 R26 MotsekouaMotsekoua SehonghongSehonghong gravel switchbacks to top of WepenerWepener MakhakheMakhakhe A2 A2 theReddersburg highestReddersburg mountain pass in A5 A5 Van RooyensVan Rooyens Gate Gate the country (p615) MalealeaMalealea MatabengMatabeng NkonkoanaNkonkoana Gate Gate MafetengMafeteng R617 R617 PaolosiPaolosi Sehlabathebe National SemonkongSemonkong Qaba Qaba ThabaThaba SehlabathebeSehlabathebe UnderbergUnderberg Park - Hike into this pristine BorataBorata BosiuBosiu NationalNational Park Park N6 N6 Drakensberg mountain park Sephapo’sSephapo’s Gate Gate MokopungMokopung R701 R701 A5 A5 from within Lesotho or across A2 A2 SekakeSekake TsoelikeTsoelike the border from KwaZulu-Na- R26 R26 MpharaneMpharane tal to explore its wildlife, lush nqu nRqiuve Rr iver Mpiti Mpiti e e Qacha’sQacha’s Nek Nek valleys and waterfalls (p605) S S A4 A4 R617 R617 MakhalengMakhaleng Bridge Bridge Mohale’sMohale’s Hoek Hoek Qacha’sQacha’s Nek Nek A4 A4 SmitfieldSmitfield A2 A2 Mt.MorosiMt.Morosi MphakiMphaki ZastronZastron R701 R701 N6 N6 MekalingMekaling MosehleMosehle LESOTHO OngeluksnekOngeluksnek MatabeleMatabele R26 R26 R726 R726 A4 A4 R56 R56 R56 R56 R701 R701 QuthingQuthing Tele BridgeTele Bridge RalebonaRalebona Mt.FletcherMt.Fletcher LESOTHO EASTERNEASTERN R55 R55 N6 N6 SterkspruitSterkspruit KokstadKokstad R58 R58 R392 R392 CAPECAPE 10mi N210km N2 R58 R58 580 LESOTHO — History modernoverland.com modernoverland.com History — LESOTHO 581 HISTORY in his kingdom. The presence of missionaries not In 1870 Moshoeshoe the Great died. He had dependence that would later have severe only provided a level of security against attacks, built one of southern Africa’s strongest kingdoms, repercussions. The nomadic San hunter-gatherers who left iconic but they also proved to be valuable political and defended it from complete destruction by white Although a British colony, chiefs continued drawings on cave walls scattered throughout the economic allies. The missionaries learned the invaders, and saw it grow exponentially, only to to be the authority in much of Lesotho daily life. Maluti Mountains were the first people to enjoy Sesotho language, served as translators, advised then have half of it signed away in a treaty between Largely educated by missionaries, chiefs such as Lesotho’s breathtaking terrain. By 1000 A.D. a branch Moshoeshoe on foreign relations with the white colonial powers. His son Letsie succeeded him as Paramount Chief Letsie II formed alliances with of Sotho-Tswana speaking migrants descended man and facilitated the importation of firearms and Paramount Chief. One year later the British Crown other politically driven members of the African elite from central Africa and settled in the region. These horses from the Cape Colony to help protect their handed Basutoland over to the Cape Colony for class and in 1912 helped found the South African settlers later became known as the Southern Sotho beloved Basotho. With their help, Moshoeshoe direct colonial administration. Native National Congress, later the African National or Basotho. Their original settlements stretched built one of the best-armed mounted armies in Unrest grew in the new colony as the Cape tried to Congress (ANC), to demand racial equality. Letsie from the southern Lesotho lowlands to the flatlands southern Africa. While Moshoeshoe himself never undermine the authority of traditional chiefs. When II’s reign was short-lived, however, and he died of the Highveld, now the northern Free State. converted to Christianity, he appreciated aspects of Cape officials tried to reserve part of Basutoland for without an heir. His brother, Griffith Lerotholi, was The Basotho lived in small disparate chiefdoms their ministry and the educational advantage they white settlement and demanded that the Basotho appointed to succeed him. Griffith’s reign was as farmers, herdsmen and skilled craftsmen and offered his people. disarm, the chiefs led their subjects in full revolt. In marred by his efforts to further extend monarchy engaged in trade with their neighbors. There was Boer frontiersman began to settle in the region the Gun War of 1880, the Basotho waged guerilla power and force the country to convert to Roman ample space for all and they lived in relative peace. in the 1830s. Initially Moshoeshoe loaned them warfare against Cape Colony regiments from their Catholicism. Tensions between commoners and Violence disrupted their lives when the land, but soon they claimed the territory as their mountain hideouts. In the end the Cape Colony chiefs heightened, as did conflicts between the reverberations of warfare between rising Nguni own and began chipping away at Moshoeshoe’s efforts to forcibly disarm the Basotho failed. The established Paris Evangelical Missionary Society kingdoms in the east crept over the mountains and kingdom. They occupied the fertile valley of the British intervened and the Crown reclaimed direct and Roman Catholic missionaries, who battled for spread into the Highveld in the early 1800s. In what Caledon River, or Mohokare River, by force and colonial administration over Basutoland in 1884. the hearts and souls of the Basotho people. later became known as the lifaqane or difaqane drove satellite Sotho chiefdoms further into the The British had long dreamt that one day Lesotho (“the scattering” in Sesotho), far-reaching factions mountains. In 1843 the British tried to regulate Lesotho remained a British Crown colony would somehow be incorporated into South Africa. of Zulu warriors and defecting Nguni tribes, such as conflicting land claims between the Boers and the between 1884 and independence in 1966. In 1910 However the rise of the apartheid state crushed all the Ndebele under King Mzilikazi, wreaked havoc Sotho with an ill-fated treaty that signed over tracts Lesotho was spared from becoming part hopes of unification. If Lesotho had been among the Sotho peoples. Chiefdoms in the wide- of land to the British. Rather than diffusing tensions of the newly formed Union of joined with its neighbor it would open plains of the Free State were easy targets the treaty fueled the fire. In 1852 British forces under South Africa and maintained its have been damned as another ill- for attacks. Those who were not killed fled to the Sir George Cathcart invaded the region hoping to separate status. It therefore founded “homeland.” mountains for refuge. enforce their new boundaries. But the Sotho forces was protected from the As the 1960s independence