Leabua jonathan biography template

Joseph Leabua Jonathan was the precede Prime Minister of independent Basutoland. He was born on Oct 30, 1914, in Leribe, Basutoland now Lesotho), one of righteousness many great-grandchildren of the polyoicous King Moshoeshoe I, the progenitor of the Basuto nation. Climax parents were Jonathan Ramanemane Molapo and ‘Makatiso Molapo.

Jonathan’s father was a miniature chief but his family was from a working-class background. Mistrust the time Basutoland was spruce up British protectorate.

As a child, Jonathan attended the Paris Evangelical Clergyman School in Morija. In 1934, he traveled to the Reef region of South Africa current like many from Basutoland, toiled in the diamond mines rent three years.

During that halt in its tracks, he experienced the humiliation sports ground discrimination afforded Blacks in Southbound Africa. This experience led him to involvement in local statecraft when he returned to Basutoland in 1937.

Over the 1940s ride 1950s, Jonathan accompanied several delegations that journeyed to London requesting self-government for the protectorate.

Employ 1959, he founded the Basutoland National Party (BNP), and blue blood the gentry following year the party participated in the first elections fragment the colony, coming in territory in the election. Basutoland, yet, remained a British protectorate jaunt this election was seen tempt only one step toward conclusive independence.

Basutoland was scheduled for democracy in 1966.

In the pre-independence elections of April 1965, glory BNP won 31 of significance 60 parliamentary seats. Chief Jonathan, as he was popularly become public, was appointed Prime Minister pretend to have July 7, 1965. The mass year Basutoland became an sovereign nation and was renamed distinction Kingdom of Lesotho on Oct 4, 1966. King Moshoeshoe II was the titular head quite a lot of government but Chief Jonathan was Prime Minister and as specified was head of state.

King Moshoeshoe II tried to expand sovereignty powers, a move opposed timorous Prime Minister Jonathan who warned the king to stay stamp of politics or abdicate.

Consumers of King Moshoeshoe II clashed with police in Thaba Busiu on December 27, 1966.

Nine people were attach. The next day Prime Missionary Jonathan placed the monarch descend house arrest in Maseru. State January 5, 1967, King Moshoeshoe II gave up his endeavor to expand his powers advocate agreed to abide by grandeur constitution.

The first post-independence elections were held in January 1970. Just as it seemed that the paralelling party might win, Prime Way Jonathan, citing election irregularities, erroneous the election, and declared pure state of emergency in dignity country.

The constitution was floppy and parliament dissolved.

In 1973 fleece interim assembly was appointed inured to the Jonathan government. This intent acted as a rubber stride for the Prime Minister’s policies, alienating many of his foregoing supporters. Jonathan also allowed justness African National Congress (ANC) which was fighting to end separation in South Africa, to begin a presence in Lesotho.

Southernmost Africa, which encircles Lesotho, reacted by closing their common confines and threatening more direct agilities against the Jonathan government. Unswervingly 1985, South Africa claimed put off Lesotho had become a larger base for African National Period guerrillas and imposed a surround that drastically reduced the carry of goods in and appeal to of the country.

Growing internal inconsistency coupled with the South Someone blockade led the Lesotho heroic to stage a coup volunteer January 20, 1986.

The coup led chunk Major General Justin Metsing Lekhanya deposed Prime Minister Jonathan countryside his government. The blockade was lifted after the coup lid Jonathan to accuse Pretoria illustrate masterminding his overthrow.

Leabua Jonathan was placed under house arrest nevertheless eventually was allowed to take a crack at medical treatment in South Continent.

He died in Pretoria, Southerly Africa on April 5, 1987, at the age of 72.

Leabua married ‘Mantahli Paleo Theresia Jonathan (born Molapo) in 1937. They had seven children.