LESOTHO

officially Kingdom of Lesotho, formerly Basutoland independent kingdom in southern Africa. With an area of 11,720 square miles (30,355 square km); it forms an enclave within the Republic of South Africa, bordering on three of the latter's provincesKwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and Eastern Cape. Thus, like only two other independent states in the world (Vatican City and the Republic of San Marino), Lesotho is completely encircled by a single country, on which it must depend exclusively for access to the outside world. Lesotho's own grave lack of resources further accentuates its dependence on South Africa. For more than a century, nearly half of the wage-employed labour force has lived and worked, mainly as migrants, in South Africa. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth and of the Organization of African Unity and is a signatory of the Lom Convention. Before its independence in 1966, Lesotho was one of the three British High Commission Territories, the other two being Bechuanaland (now Botswana) and Swaziland. The capital is Maseru. Additional reading The female perspective of everyday life in Lesotho is provided by K. Limakatso Kendall (ed.), Basali!: Stories by and About Women in Lesotho (1995). Colin Murray, Families Divided: The Impact of Migrant Labour in Lesotho (1981), studies the effects of shifting labour migration on family life in three different villages. William F. Lye and Colin Murray, Transformations on the Highveld: The Tswana & Southern Sotho (1980), studies these people, who live in Lesotho, Botswana, and central South Africa. The economy and government policies are discussed in John E. Bardill and James H. Cobbe, Lesotho: Dilemmas of Dependence in Southern Africa (1985); and James Ferguson, The Anti-Politics Machine: Development, Depoliticization, and Bureaucratic Power in Lesotho (1990, reissued 1994).The history of the country is analyzed in Stephen J. Gill, A Short History of Lesotho: From the Late Stone Age Until the 1993 Elections (1993); Robert C. Germond (compiler and trans.), Chronicles of Basutoland (1967), a running commentary by French missionaries of the period 18301902; Elizabeth A. Eldredge, A South African Kingdom: The Pursuit of Security in Nineteenth-Century Lesotho (1993). Leonard Thompson, Survival in Two Worlds: Moshoeshoe of Lesotho, 17861870 (1975); and Peter Sanders, Moshoeshoe, Chief of the Sotho (1975), both analyze Mshweshwe's role in Lesotho's history. L.B.B.J. Machobane, Government and Change in Lesotho, 18001966: A Study of Political Institutions (1990); and B.M. Khaketla, Lesotho, 1970: An African Coup Under the Microscope (1971), discuss political issues in the country. An excellent, comprehensive guide to the published material on Lesotho up to the time of its publication is Shelagh M. Willet and David P. Ambrose, Lesotho: A Comprehensive Bibliography (1980). James Hamilton Cobbe Administration and social conditions Government In July 1991 a new constitution was approved by a constituent assembly, but was not promulgated until the March 1993 general elections, which made the hereditary king head of state and of the armed forces. The king no longer possesses any executive authority but instead is a national symbol. The bicameral parliament consists of a nonelective Senate and an elected National Assembly. The Senate consists of 22 chiefs and 11 nominated members, while the 80 members of the National Assembly are popularly elected for five-year terms. Executive power rests with the cabinet, of which the prime minister is the head. Political parties were dissolved in 1986 but reauthorized in 1991, even though elections were not held again until 1993. Lesotho is divided into 10 administrative districts, each of which is under the direction of a coordinator appointed by the district. Justice and security The legal system is based on Roman-Dutch law, with elements of British and customary law also playing a role. There are local and central courts, judicial commissioners' courts, subordinate courts, and a court of appeal, with the High Court as the superior court of record. Lesotho maintains only a small defense force and relies on South Africa for its external security. Cultural life The contradictions created by Lesotho's political independence and economic dependence are reflected in the cultural life of the country. Despite the country's increasing urbanization and the growth of modern institutions and bureaucracy, the overall objective of the Sotho is to build the rural homestead and perpetuate traditional institutions. The people remain loyal to the system of chieftaincy, although this traditional level of leadership has been discredited by the international community. Institutions such as the initiation schools, which perpetuate traditional values, are still significant but are changing in structure and declining in importance. The historical traditions and legacy of Mshweshwe, founder of the nation, remain strong, and there is national pride in Lesotho's history of resistance, the role of the Sotho in building modern southern Africa, and the achievements of such writers as Thomas Mofolo and such composers as Joshua Pulumo Mohapeloa. The newspaper Leselinyana la Lesotho has been published for more than a century, and printing presses at mission stations, such as the Morija Press, have made a substantial contribution to the religious and educational literature of southern Africa. Village life is dominated by basic agricultural tasks, with heavy responsibilities falling on women. Craftwork is still practiced in the villages and includes pottery and grassweaving (notably of traditional Sotho hats), and the walls of houses are often elaborately decorated. Herders still play a traditional instrument called the letsiba, and dances such as the gum-boot dance and the lefela demonstrate the influence of migrant labour on traditional forms of cultural expression. Urban life is a blend of traditional and Western culture. In Maseru there are shops and markets that offer regional crafts and goods, as there are modern and Western hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs; many of these were either burned or damaged by looting following the general election in 1998. Its location makes it an ideal starting point for those trekking on foot or by pony in the highlands. Sporting activities are extremely popular, even given the low income level of the country. Football (soccer) is the most widely played sport in Lesotho, but because many of its best players go to South Africa for economic gain, Lesotho does not excel in international competition. Judo, boxing, and long-distance running are also popular, the first two benefiting from training facilities provided by the police force. Horse racing is an athletic competition important to rural social life. Televison and radio have done much to improve communication in Lesotho, where broadcasts from South African stations can be received, and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has built a regional radio transmitter in the country. Broadcasts in Sotho are received from the Lesotho National Broadcasting Service, and there are also two independent radio stations and a television service. The country's first daily paper, The Nation, began publication in 1985. Colin Legum J.J. Guy James Hamilton Cobbe