Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. As an enclave of South Africa, with which it shares a 1,106 km (687 mi) border, it is the largest sovereign enclave in the world, and the only one outside of the Italian Peninsula. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest peak in Southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km2 (11,600 sq mi) and has a population of about two million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. The country is also known by the nickname The Mountain Kingdom.
The history of people living in the area now known as Lesotho goes back as many as 400 years. Present Lesotho emerged as a single polity under King Moshoeshoe I in 1822. Under Moshoeshoe I, Basotho joined other clans in their struggle against the Lifaqane associated with famine and the reign of Shaka Zulu from 1818 to 1828.
Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili is a former Mosotho politician who 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. While serving as Prime Minister, Mosisili was also Minister of Defence.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana.
Thomas Motsoahae Thabane is a Mosotho politician who was the fifth prime minister of Lesotho from 2012 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2020. He founded the All Basotho Convention (ABC) in 2006 and led the party until 2022.
The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) is a customs union among five countries of Southern Africa: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. Its headquarters are in the Namibian capital, Windhoek. It was established in 1910.
Lesotho–South Africa relations refers to the current and historical bilateral relations of South Africa and Lesotho. Lesotho, which is surrounded by South Africa, depends on South Africa for most of its economic affairs, and its foreign policy is often aligned with that of Pretoria. Both are member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, African Union, Southern African Customs Union and Southern African Development Community. Lesotho, along with Eswatini, have been described as satellite states of South Africa.
Since the end of apartheid, foreign trade in South Africa has increased, following the lifting of several sanctions and boycotts which were imposed as a means of ending apartheid.
On 30 August 2014, Lesotho's Prime Minister Tom Thabane alleged that a coup d'état had been launched against him. This followed a previous allegation which caused him to suspend parliament over possible extra-constitutional manoeuvres. It also followed pressure from South Africa to maintain the democratic process. The next day, Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing assumed responsibility for running the government. An early election was held in February 2015 as a result of South African-led Southern African Development Community (SADC) mediation, giving power to the opposition.
General elections were held in Lesotho on 28 February 2015 for all 120 seats of the National Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of Lesotho, more than two years ahead of schedule due to the 2014 political crisis. Following mediation facilitated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), King Letsie III on the advice of the incumbent Prime Minister Tom Thabane, dissolved the Eighth Parliament and called a snap election.
Mothetjoa Metsing is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho. He is a member and current leader of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD). He served in the government of Prime Minister Tom Thabane between 2012 and 2015. In 2014, he was involved in controversy over an alleged coup attempt against the prime minister that was eventually resolved over calls for an early election.
Lipolelo Thabane was a Mosotho political figure and wife of prime minister Tom Thabane. She was murdered on June 14, 2017, two days before her husband's inauguration.
The Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique (SACUM) is a customs union and trading bloc comprising the countries Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Mozambique. Its predecessor is the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). SACUM was created after Mozambique entered into the Southern African Customs Union.
Moeketsi Majoro is a Mosotho economist and politician who 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. Majoro has been representing the Thetsane Constituency No. 33 in the National Assembly since his election in 2017. He was formerly a senator and the minister of Development Planning from 2013 to 2015. Majoro is a member of the All Basotho Convention (ABC).
The COVID-11 pandemic in Lesotho is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Lesotho on 13 May 2020.
'Matšepo Ramakoae is a Lesotho politician. She was serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations from May 2020 to October 2022. She is the legislator from the Matsieng constituency No. 45. Ramakoae served as the Deputy Minister of Finance from 2012 until 2015.
The following lists events that happened during 2021 in Southern Africa. The countries are those described in the United Nations geoscheme for Southern Africa.
General elections were held in Lesotho on 7 October 2022 to elect all 120 members of the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament.
The following lists events that happened during 2022 in Southern Africa. The countries are those described in the United Nations geoscheme for Southern Africa.
Botswana - Changed its name from Bechuanaland Protectorate to Botswana when it declared its independence from the United Kingdom on September 30, 1966. Thecapital of the Republic of Botswana is Gaborone. The country is a member of the African Union (AU), the Commonwealth, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the United Nations (UN). [2] 
Eswatini (Swaziland) - Was officially the Kingdom of Swaziland until 2018; it achieved its independence from the United Kingdom in 1968. The executive capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Eswatini is Mbabane; the traditional, spiritual, and legislative capital is Lobamba. Eswatini is a member of the SADC, the AU, the Commonwealth, and the UN. [4] 
Lesotho - A country enclaved in South Africa. Basutoland declared its independence from the United Kingdom on October 4, 1966, and became the Kingdom of Lesotho. Today it is a member of the AU, the Commonwealth, the SADC, and the UN. Its capital is Maseru. [6] 
Namibia - The Namibian War of Independence led to independence from South Africa on March 21, 1990. Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands were ceded to the Republic of Namibia in 1994. Namibia is a member of the AU, SADC, and UN. The capital is Windhoek. [10] 
South Africa - The Union of South Africa became a self-governing dominion of the British Empire in 1910 and became the Republic of South Africa in 1961. It ended Apartheid and gained majority rule on April 27, 1994. The administrative capital is Pretoria, the legislative capital is Cape Town, and the judicial capital is Bloemfontein. [12] 
