Leabua Jonathan

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Joseph Leabua Jonathan (b. 30 October 1914 - d. 5 April 1987) was the first Prime Minister of Lesotho. He held that post from 1965 to 1970, and then as unelected Tona Kholo (a Sesotho translation of prime minister) until 1986 when the military overthrew his government.

Born in Leribe, Jonathan was a minor chief, like many others a great-grandson of the polygamous King Moshoeshoe I. His name "Leabua" means "You people are talking" a riposte made by his father Chief Jonathan Molapo when villagers suggested the boy should be named after his "real" father, an Indian trader, from whom it was alleged he had inherited his straight hair.

He worked as a mine induna at Brakpan and then, following a riot against his ill treatment of miners, in local government in Basutoland from 1937 and was a member of delegations to London that sought self-government in Basutoland.

He converted to Catholicism and in 1959 founded the Canadian Catholic missionary backed Basutoland National Party (BNP, renamed Basotho National Party at independence), which won a slim majority in April 1965 elections on a minority vote. Leabua lost his seat and had to stand for election in a safe seat later. He took office as Prime Minister on 7 July 1965.

Soon after Basutoland gained independence in 1966 as Lesotho, (Lesotho King never had executive powers) executive power was transferred from the King to the Prime Minister. Jonathan's government established full diplomatic relations with South Africa in 1967(Chief Leabua's government NEVER established diplomatic relations with South Africa).

The first post-independence elections were conducted in January 1970. The results gave Jonathan's Basotho National Party (BNP) 23 seats, while the opposition Basotho Congress Party (BCP) won 36. At first accepting the election defeat he came under pressure from Chiefs Peete Peete and 'Maseribane; and paramilitary leader Fred Roach to retain power. Consequently, he declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution, and jailed opposition leaders. The election was annulled and Lesotho was ruled by decree.

An attempt to have himself declared king was quickly scotched by the enraged senior chief Leshoboro Majara.

Despite Lesotho's economic dependence on South Africa and the government's official policy during the 1970's of dialogue with its neighbor, Jonathan repeatedly criticized the South African government's policy of apartheid, and declared his support for the prohibited African National Congress (ANC) when he learned the 178 strong Lesotho Liberation Army, the BCP's military wing, was being trained in Libya by the Pan Africanist Congress (ANC's rival). During the late 1970's, Jonathan, despite his regime's protests to Libya, nevertheless accused the South African government of supporting the Lesotho Liberation Army (LLA). Mokhehle is fact did indeed go over to Pretoria but only in late 1981. The main LLA force was wiped out in 1979 but later recruits were assisted by a Transkei-based American mercenary with Rhodesian army service, Major Bob MacKenzie, son-in-law of the senior CIA operative, Ray Steiner Cline, a former member of the 1969 Nixon administration. The South African government denied these claims but later admitted Mokhehle was part of the notorious Vlakplaas operation. The cancellation of elections, after an opposition boycott in 1985, increased the hostility of the LLA, which launched a number of attacks on BNP targets late in that year.

On 15 January 1986, a military coup led by Major General Justin Metsing Lekhanya ironically under pressure both from Pretoria and the Leballo faction of the Pan Africanist Congress deposed the Jonathan government. Leabua Jonathan was placed under house arrest in August 1986 and died of a heart attack on 5 April 1987 at the age of 72.