Basutos Prepare For Independence
(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, June 8. A colony the size of Belgium, entirely surrounded by South Africa, but populated almost wholly by Africans, was embarking in London today on the final stage of the now familiar pattern of procedure for the granting of independence.
The Colonial Secretary, Mr Fred Lee, was presiding at the opening of a conference at Lancaster House designed to clear the way for Basutoland—population 697,000, area 11,716 square miles —to become the independent kingdom of Lesotho on October 4 and the 23rd member of the Commonwealth. The voung Paramount Chief of Basutoland, Motlotlehi Moshoeshoe 11, who was educated at Oxford, is destined to be Head of State under the independence Constitution. He was 28 when he was installed Paramount Chief in March, 1960.
He was the centre recently of a political crisis, when he tried unsuccessful to dismiss five senators who voted on the side of the Government against an amendment to a
proposed Constitution put up by his supporters. Members of the all-party delegation to the talks; led by the Prime Minister, Chief Leabua Jonathan, include Mr Ntsu Mohkehle, President of the main Opposition Congress Party, which has bitterly opposed Chief Jonathan’s policy of co-operation with South Africa.
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Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31083, 11 June 1966, Page 21
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206Basutos Prepare For Independence Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31083, 11 June 1966, Page 21
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