ANC honours Dr Leabua Jonathan - a true comrade

Joint Press Statement:

The Jonathan family and the South African High Commission to the Kingdom of Lesotho on the Occasion of the Awarding of the Order of the Supreme Companions of OR Tambo (posthumously) to Dr. Leabua Jonathan for Exceptional Contribution to the Struggle against Apartheid through Supporting the Liberation Movement in times of need

The award will be posthumously bestowed on the late Dr Leabua Jonathan at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, today 24th April 2007. The award will be received by Dr Jonathan’s grandson Seoehla Jonathan accompanied by his uncle Mr Moletsane Jonathan

The award will be disclosed to the friends and companions of Dr Jonathan on 30th October 2007 which is the anniversary of his 93rd birthday.

Extended family members, friends, companions and well wishers of Morena Leabua Jonathan are kindly advised to patiently await further announcements by the family and the South African High Commission regarding activities in commemoration of this prestigious award.

Possible commentary

Chief Joseph Leabua Jonathan was born on the 30th October 1914 in Lesotho. His father was a hereditary chief and the great-grandson of King Moshoeshoe, founder of the Basotholand (now Lesotho).

He believed in his capability to contribute to the independence and development of Lesotho. In 1937, he worked in the administration of the Paramount Chief Regent, which armed him with the necessary experience to rise within a year from clerk to the presidency of the Basuto courts and assessor to the judicial commissioner.

Dr. Jonathan served in the National Council before acquiring a chief’s place there. Working as advisor to the Paramount Regent, he earned a reputation as a popular progressive leader duly respectful of tradition. He also served on the Panel of 18, the council’s constitutional reform committee.

In 1959, Dr. Jonathan founded and later led the Basutoland National Party (BNP, renamed Basotho National Party at independence). He then entered the Legislative Council as a nominated member. In the same year the BNP began to agitate for independence from Great Britain. It was also during this time that the Basotho became wary of attempts by the Apartheid regime to “incorporate Lesotho as one of its Bantustans” into South Africa.

Despite Lesotho’s economic dependence on South Africa, Dr. Jonathan repeatedly criticised the South African government’s policy of Apartheid and declared his support for the banned African National Congress (ANC).

Towards the middle of the 1970s the relationship between the Government of Lesotho and the South African regime took a turn for the worse, and large numbers of ANC members were able to take refuge in Lesotho, which led to an economic blockade.

He risked his life and that of his Companion OR Tambo to bury the ANC victims of the SANDF massacre of December 1982 in Maseru Lesotho
He consulted and obtained the concurrence of the ANC in exile before he entered negotiations with apartheid South Africa on the Lesotho Highland Water Project
He resisted the pressure to hand over Chris Hani to the Apartheid government in exchange for the LLA
He made special provisions for the education of refugees in Lesotho
He integrated refugees into Basotho communities and regarded them as one people
He kept the issue of conquered territory on the roll of the International Court of Justice in the Hague

Chief Jonathan was a good and true comrade of liberation movements in the region, including the ANC, PAC and FRELIMO despite the risks to his own government and life.

Dr. Joseph Leabua Jonathan showed extraordinary passion for the liberation of the African continent through braving the overt and covert attacks from the mightier Apartheid regime. His love for his people withstood the risks involved in this political vision, including threats on his life.

He died of natural causes on 5 April 1987.

Molimo a mo hlohonolofatse tloholo seo sa Morena Moshoeshoe...hoja ke Mosisili ke ne ke tla ithuta taba tsa puso ho eena, haholo tabeng ea ho laola le ho ahlola ka toka matona le ofisiri tsohle tsa maemo a phahameng tsa 'muso,'moho le likamano tsa hlomphano ho babusi ba naheng tse ling!

EA MATHATA!!!

Selemo sa ho feta ANC e ile ea tlotla mofu morena Moshoeshoe oa II. Seholimo e tlotla morena Leabua. Ebe Ntsu Mokhehle eena o tla ts'oasa neng-neng? Kapa ANC hae natse bafo?

Khotso pula nala

Ke lebohela ba lelapa la Morena Leabua ka tlotlo eo a fuang ke 'muso os Afrika Boroa.
Ke nete o seeile pale e matla tlatsetsong ea hae ho tsa tokoloho ea Afrika Borao haholo lilemong tsa hae tsa ho qetela pusong moo a ileng a bontsa bonatla bo khethehileng.
'Nete e ngoe e teng hape, e etsang motho a fapanye pelo le maikutlo, ke ea puso ea hae e ileng ea qaphalletsoa ke khatello le lihloho ho ba bohanyetsi. Pale ea Qomatsi ea 1970 le 1974 e sala le rona. Morao ea tla ba bacha ba BNP ho fihlela masole a nka puso.
Nako ena ebile lefa le malimabe 1)ho ruta ntsi ka ho hana sephetho sa likhetho le ho li nka ka nkane. 2) Ho kenya masole lipolotiking 3)Nepotism and cronyism mesebetsing.
Kajeno ke lakatsa ho mo leballa, ke kope hore re hopole makhabane a hae. Ke kope baetapele ba teng ba ithute moo a ileng a khetsemela teng 'me ba qobe. Ba mokha oa hae ba re thuse ba amohele moo ba re sitetsoeng re le Sechaba, re tsebe ho lokoloha 'me re thabe le bona ka tlotla ena.
Ha re boneng hore na poelano eane e hlotseng Morena Leabua ha a phela na e keke ea phethahala kajeno.

Kali wrote:

Ke lebohela ba lelapa la Morena Leabua ka tlotlo eo a fuang ke 'muso os Afrika Boroa.
Ke nete....

Thanx Kali for the info. It only serves good purpose for us to forget & forgive because it is not good to live in the past but the atrocities can never be forgotten especially because unfortunately we still have people among us who, if they could, would glory in those days.

Another one of his worst influences is liphallelo!!! I attribute botsoa bo teng among our people to him because he used these things to rally people around him. Hitler (it is alleged) burned down the parliamentary buildings for the same purpose; Americans (it is alleged) allowed the Pearl Harbour & 911 attacks on themselves so they could instil fear & rally support for the administration. Leabua did the same but from another angle because there has always been 'the poor' among our people.

It is so unfortunate that to this day, there are still allegations of the present government using the same old rotten tactics to play their game. I wish people could grow up and understand. Those things happened and we should have learned to avoid anything that fails to unite us as a people.

satane eo ea leneshenale

Khauteng Khateane wrote:

Selemo sa ho feta ANC e ile ea tlotla mofu morena Moshoeshoe oa II. Seholimo e tlotla morena Leabua. Ebe Ntsu Mokhehle eena o tla ts'oasa neng-neng? Kapa ANC hae natse bafo?

Ntsu ke motho oa bo Mmamasela Flakplaas. Bo mmateae (bo-decork)ANC e ba isitse chankaneng.

u leshano uena Mokola!satane ea lihele

Khau e ea mo ts'oanela! U ne a hane ho saena ea Nkomati. Machaba-chaba a il'a roesa mor'a Jonathane korone, mme re ea mo lebohela. Moea oa hae o phomole ka khotso!!!

(source:http://www.iss.co.za/A SR/ADR18/Motumi.html)

In Lesotho, Leabua Jonathan's government buckled under pressure from the South African Government's blockade of that country's borders. A military coup d'état followed in January 1986, allowing Maj.-Gen. Justin Lekhanya to take over, much to the chagrin of the ANC and the delight of the South African Government. This also resulted in deportations of a number of ANC members and specific MK operatives whose names were provided by the South African Government. The loss of a sympathetic Lesotho Government was a serious blow to the ANC and MK. Lesotho structures had primarily been responsible for servicing the eastern and western Cape, Transkei and to a limited degree, the PWV.

As a boy, i used to wonder who Ntata Ntahli was...as young man i used to follow his movemnets and the way he did things and as a grown mani, i now realize why he did some of the things he did. I respect the man as a leader, things he did back then are only regrettable today only because they involved taking human life but sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.I usually look around at things happening today,decisions made to feed the those stuffed.I'm ashamed that today in this country people go hunting on full stomachs...How i wish i were a grown man back then.
May his soul rest in peace.

Dear Colleagues,

Do not be fooled by stupid historians who distort history to suit their own selfish ends. This was a great leader! Unfortunately or shall we say fortunately he understood the term violence i.e if anyone tried something violent he would respond with proportionate one. If his erstwhile adversary ws a recognised statesman, let us wait for his turn to be internationally acclaimed. the adversary's 'rich' legacy as a 'freedom fighter'is a folklore told to kids with unquestuioning minds

Re ea molebohela kajeno ha ho bonahala nalane ea hae e hopoloa

Ke hore 'na taba tsa Morena Leabua li ea mpherekanya. Ka hlaoreng le leng ke mohopotse hobane Lesotho le Basotho ba ne ba na le seriti le boleng re bile re le motlotlo ka naha ea rona. Mosisili u re lahlisitse tsena kaofela. Ka hlakoreng le leng he Ma National a ne a otla ha bohloko. Na le hopola bana bane ba ma LYS. He 'na Ma National ke tla a ts'epa khale. Feela ke na le ho hopola Leabua ha Mosisili a ntse a re sotla tjena.

Mohlomong ke tlala ea kajeno e tlisitsoeng ke Mosisili e entseng hore le rona ba neng ba sa rate Leabua ebe re ea mo lebohela ebile re mo hopotse. Ka nnete rea mo lebohela Tona-Kholo eo ea Lesotho ea maoba. Re kopa Mosisili a ithute ho eena hore na tlala e hloloa joang, etsoe sera sa motho ke tlala eseng motho e mong.

I cannot pretend to be an admirer of the late former Prime Minister neither am I going to feign any affections for him , much as I want to congratulate his posterity for the award , I feel obliged to heap praises on the Basotho nation that bore the brunt of Apartheid regime and openly declare that the award belongs to them as then led by the unlamented regime of Ntate Leabua .
People of Lesotho hold the true and undeniable testimony to the atrocities of Morena Leabua 's regime ! We may sing all songs of praise for the valour of Robert Gabriel Mugabe as a freedom fighter but the ultimate testimony will come from the Zimbabweans themselves !
It is very easy to tarnish the late Africanist Stalwart , son of the proletariat class , Dr Ntsu Mokhehle , but you will only appreciate his position if you analyse it in the context of the geographical location of Lesotho .
Our pride as sons and daughters of the fallen stalwarts of LLA as led by BCP leadership will never be determined by foreign forces !

Hlahlasolle wrote:

I cannot pretend to be an admirer of the late former Prime Minister neither am I going to feign any affections for him , much as I want to congratulate his posterity for the award , I feel obliged to heap praises on the Basotho nation that bore the brunt of Apartheid regime and openly declare that the award belongs to them as then led by the unlamented regime of Ntate Leabua .
People of Lesotho hold the true and undeniable testimony to the atrocities of Morena Leabua 's regime ! We may sing all songs of praise for the valour of Robert Gabriel Mugabe as a freedom fighter but the ultimate testimony will come from the Zimbabweans themselves !
It is very easy to tarnish the late Africanist Stalwart , son of the proletariat class , Dr Ntsu Mokhehle , but you will only appreciate his position if you analyse it in the context of the geographical location of Lesotho .
Our pride as sons and daughters of the fallen stalwarts of LLA as led by BCP leadership will never be determined by foreign forces !

You are missing the point. The award is all about recognition by the ANC to the people who lend a helping hand in their liberation struggle.

It is a fact that Leabua did
It is a fact that Ntsu co-habited with Boers at Flarkplaas.

So Leabua o lebuhuoa ke bao a ileng a ba thusa maoba.

This has nothing to do with what u think as Mosotho. It also confirms that 'ha ho tjaka hloka koli'.

Le ha u rata Ntsu hakaalo, ba bang ba mo bona e le Apartheid conspirator.
Le ha u sa batle Leabua, ba bang ba mmona ele a friend in the time of need.

Mokola wrote:

<quoted text>You are missing the point. The award is all about recognition by the ANC to the people who.....

Mokola le uena se ke oa sotha Hlahlasolle letsoho o sa utloisisi hore na o reng. Ha a re ba fositse, he is just saying he, himself would dedicate it to the whole nation and he has right to his opinion. On the issue of Dr. Mokhehle as a 'conspirator' those people have a right to judge it that way but it is a misrepresentation of reality. That very same BNP regime, ka ho chesa matlo le ho phaphathehisa bana le basali, is the one that created 'likhukhuni' as they were called, joale re re li ne li tla lula kae? Ntsu had to survive!!!

Khauteng Khateane wrote:

Selemo sa ho feta ANC e ile ea tlotla mofu morena Moshoeshoe oa II. Seholimo e tlotla morena Leabua. Ebe Ntsu Mokhehle eena o tla ts'oasa neng-neng? Kapa ANC hae natse bafo?

Ua heso Ntate Ntsu ba ka mo tlotla joang a ne a ena le leano le reng: "Ea kgutla naha le matekoane a eona" Joale leano le bontsha ntoa feela.