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| See also: | Other events of 2021 List of years in Lesotho | ||||
Events in the year 2021 in Lesotho .
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| See also: | Other events of 2021 List of years in Lesotho | ||||
Events in the year 2021 in Lesotho .
Ongoing — COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho
Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho, formerly known as Basutoland, 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 Kingdom in the Sky.
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.
The National University of Lesotho, the main and oldest university in Lesotho, is located in Roma, 34 km (21 mi) southeast of Maseru, the capital of Lesotho. The Roma valley is broad and is surrounded by a barrier of rugged mountains which provides magnificent scenery. The university enjoys a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. The governing body of the university is the council and academic policy is in the hands of Senate, both Council and Senate being established by the Act.
Joseph Leabua Jonathan was the first prime minister of Lesotho. He succeeded Chief Sekhonyana Nehemia Maseribane following a by-election and held that post from 1965 to 1986.
General Justin Metsing Lekhanya was the Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Military Council of Lesotho from 24 January 1986 to 2 May 1991.
The Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) is the military of the Southern African Kingdom of Lesotho, which consists of about 2,000 personnel and is tasked with maintaining internal security, territorial integrity, and defending the constitution of Lesotho. Since the mountainous kingdom is completely landlocked by South Africa, in practice the country's external defence is guaranteed by its larger neighbour, so the armed forces are mainly used for internal security. The LDF is an army with a small air wing.
Ntlhoi Motsamai is a Lesotho politician who served as the first female Speaker of the National Assembly from 1999 to 2012. She was elected again from March 2015 to June 2017. Motsamai worked as a teacher before entering politics.
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.
General elections were held in Lesotho on 27 and 28 January 1970, the first since independence in 1966. They were won by the opposition Basutoland Congress Party, but without announcing the results, the ruling Basotho National Party carried out a coup d'état by declaring a state of emergency, annulling the election, dissolving parliament and suspending the constitution. King Moshoeshoe II was sent into exile after expressing disapproval of the actions.
Sankomota is an Afro-jazz fusion band formed in 1976 in Lesotho. The band consisted of several members in its earliest years; Frank Leepa, Moss Nkofo (drummer), Black Jesus (percussion), Moruti Selate (bass), Tsepo Tshola, and Pitso Sera (guitar), among others. Sankomota was managed by Peter B. Scheider until 1979. Later, under the management of Leepa, Sankomota's career spanned out over two decades.
Lesotho–Russia relations are the bilateral relations between Russia and Lesotho.
Tsepo Ramonene Mathibelle is a long-distance runner from Lesotho.
Tsepo Seturumane is a Mosotho international footballer who plays for Lioli as a striker. He played at the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.
The monarchy of Lesotho is the form of government used by Lesotho by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the Constitution. The monarch is styled as Marena; in Sotho language, Marena is the plural of the common noun Kings, where Morena is the singular for King.
Group C of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification tournament was one of the seven groups to decide the teams which qualified for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals tournament. Group C consisted of four teams: Gabon, Burkina Faso, Angola, and Lesotho, who played against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format.
The 1991 Lesotho coup d'état was a military coup that took place in Lesotho on 30 April 1991, led by Colonel Elias Phisoana Ramaema. It led to the resignation of Prime Minister General Justin Lekhanya, who held the office since the 1986 coup d'état.
The 1986 Lesotho coup d'état was a military coup that took place in Lesotho on 20 January 1986, led by General Justin Lekhanya. It led to the deposition of Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan, who held the office since 1965 and assumed dictatorial powers in the 1970 coup d'état, after the general election was annulled.
The 1970 Lesotho coup d'état was a self-coup that took place in Lesotho on 30 January 1970, led by Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan. It led to the assumption of dictatorial powers by Prime Minister Jonathan, who held the office since 1965. The coup was triggered by the victory of the opposition Basutoland Congress Party over the ruling Basotholand National Party in the general election.
Evaristus Rets'elisitsoe Sekhonyana was a Lesotho politician and diplomat who served in a number of cabinet positions during the kingdom's history, including Minister of Foreign Affairs. Among other positions he held was minister of justice. Sekhonyana had also served as the leader of the Basotho National Party, which ruled the country from the 1986 military coup until the 1990s.
The COVID-19 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.
