Lesotho Political Party Wants To Reclaim Free State Province, Government Official Responds

• A political party wrote to the United Nationals for the conquered Basutoland territory to be restored to Lesotho.
• The leader of the Basotho Covenant Movement and a Member of Parliament in Lesotho is in New York and is petitioning that land annexed during the reign of Moshoeshoe be returned
• South Africans laughed at the petition, and South Africa's Head of Public Diplomacy Clayson Monyela addressed the party's claim to the Free State and Swaziland

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG — A political party in Lesotho is laying claim to the Free State and Swaziland, and is petitioning the United Nations to recognise its claim to these lands as part of Basutoland. South Africa's head of public diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, highlighted why their claim was not feasible.

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Lesotho's claim to the Free State?

The leader of the Basotho Covenant Movement, Dr Tsepo Lipholo addressed his petition to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, The UN Security Council, the United Kingdom, South Africa's government and the government of Lesotho. X account @serene_yemanja posted the petition. It called to attention the resolution the UN passed in 1962. The resolution declared the Free State, parts of the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.

Read the X tweet here:

The motion was initially heard in Lesotho's parliament in December 2022 and it was dismissed. The premise of the petition was that the Basotho were forced to present-day Lesotho after the Mfecane Wars between the 18th and 19th centuries. Thousands of people from different ethnic groups were displaced.

Is the recognition possible?

In response, Monyela clarified on his @ClaysonMonyela X account that the United Nations and African Union adhere to the principle of the inviolability of colonially inherited borders. This means that all member states pledge to respect the borders that existed on their achievement of national independence.

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Read the X tweet here:

Expropriation Act in SA

Recently, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act into law. The law gave the government the power to expropriate land without compensation for the public good in the event the government and a property owner do not agree on compensation.

Political parties including the Democratic Alliance, the Economic Freedom Fighters and the MK Party rejected Ramaphosa signing the act and opposed it. The EFF slammed Ramaphosa, and the Democratic Alliance blasted him for not consulting with member parties of a Government of National Unity.

South Africans share their views

Netizens were not impressed by the petition.

Sonia Zwane said:

"Maybe they should abolish their borders and become our 10th province. That way they will be able to access what they claim to be historical land."

Mbuso P Siera said:

"The western friends of Paul Kagame, Rwanda, GNU, DA and Afriforum are using Lesotho. It's all about the minerals and agricultural."

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SA X Defense said:

"This is what happens when we're disrespected by small countries like Rwanda and we do nothing."

The Alpha Male said:

"We need to incorporate Lesotho into the Free State province."

Mokgalabje Ngwato said:

"We must annex Lesotho, Eswatini and botswana. The UN is nonsense."

EFF willing to defend Expropriation Act

In another article, Briefly News reported that the EFF is willing to defend the Expropriation Act against the Freedom Front Plus, which announced that it is planning on litigating the act.

Party leader Julius Malema said even though the party does not support the Act in its current form, it will defend it against Freedom Front Plus. He said the Red Berets oppose right-wing political parties.

Source: Briefly News