A Lesotho MP is going through prison fees after he accused the nation’s monarch and authorities of signing over management of Lesotho to its a lot bigger neighbour, South Africa.
Dr Tshepo Lipholo additionally faces fees of “violating the dignity and repute” of the royal household by declaring himself the chief ruler of the landlocked nation.
He reportedly appeared in court docket on Monday to use for bail however this was postponed to a later date this month.
The opposition MP has beforehand known as for elements of South Africa to be declared “Lesotho’s territory” and desires them returned to Lesotho’s management,
Amongst them is the Free State, one of many three South African provinces that share a border with the small southern African nation. Dr Lipholo can be laying declare to elements of the Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Jap Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
The folks of Lesotho, known as Basotho, lived in these areas till the nineteenth Century, once they have been seized by Afrikaners – white South Africans. Many nonetheless dwell there, particularly the Free State.
Within the cost sheet, which the BBC has seen, the state accuses the lawmaker of “uttering seditious phrases” and “inciting public violence” by saying King Letsie III and the federal government had “signed [over] Lesotho to turn out to be the tenth South African province”.
These remarks have been allegedly made between April and June 2025 on varied social media platforms and radio interviews, in line with the state.
He’s additionally accused of declaring himself the paramount chief of Basutoland, the nation’s colonial identify, regardless of the king’s presence.
A retired military official, Main Basic Samuel Makoro, was additionally arrested on Friday for allegedly supporting Mr Lipholo and offering him with delicate data.
Dr Lipholo is the chief of the Basotho Covenant Motion (BCM), which has a single seat in parliament.
His movement, which was beforehand debated in Lesotho’s parliament, is predicated on a 1962 United Nations decision that recognised the suitable to self-determination and independence for the folks of Basutoland.
The view from South African officers is that the movement to reclaim territories some Basotho view as their very own doesn’t stand an opportunity of taking place, as a result of it doesn’t benefit from the assist of the bulk in Lesotho.
One of many key obstacles is the 1964 Cairo Declaration of the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union, whereby African leaders agreed to recognise the present borders of their newly unbiased nations, even when they have been drawn up by colonial powers with little regard to the place completely different ethnic teams lived, to keep away from stirring up battle throughout the continent.
South Africa’s overseas affairs ministry reaffirmed this view in response to a query in parliament earlier this 12 months.
Dr Lipholo has beforehand instructed Lesotho media that he additionally hopes to have the movement mentioned within the British Parliament “because it was the UK that gave Lesotho its independence in 1966, with out correcting the borders seized by the Afrikaners”.
Based on a supply, his authorized workforce was given till 25 July 2025 to argue for bail. He stays in coverage custody.
Extra reporting by Pumza Fihlani
