Leabua Jonathan
Joseph Leabua Jonathan ( born October 30, 1914 in Leribe, Basutoland, † April 5, 1987 in Pretoria, South Africa ) was a Lesotho politician and Prime Minister of Lesotho from 1965 to 1986.
Life
Jonathan was a great-grandson of King Moshoeshoe I and son of a concubine of morena Jonathan Molapo. He left the primary school after the sixth grade and worked as miners in South Africa. After his return he was employed from 1937 in the local administration. Among other things, he was responsible for runaway and stolen cattle. He learned the South African jurist Patrick Duncan know who worked in the administration Basutolands, and became interested in politics so. He was adviser to the regent ' Mantšebo and stepped through them to the Catholic faith. He was a member of the delegation in London who asked for self- government for the Basutoland. Jonathan developed an alternative to the then Basutoland African Congress, which met the interests of the barena and the Catholic Church. In 1959, Jonathan the Basutoland National Party ( BNP), which, however, remained insignificant in the elections 1960. However, Jonathan was a no alliances with other parties and remained politically active. He sought despite the apartheid local financial assistance in South Africa and was the parliamentary elections in April 1965 just win. However, he did not win a seat and was able to resume his duties as prime minister after a successful election on 7 July 1965.
Jonathan received after the independence of Lesotho in 1966 after a power struggle with King Moshoeshoe II wide-ranging powers and also took on relations with South Africa. In the elections of 1970, Jonathan BNP with 23 seats, only the second strongest, whereas the Basotho Congress Party ( BCP) won 36 seats under Ntsu Mokhehle. Jonathan then called a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and was jailed opposition leaders. Moshoeshoe II had temporarily into exile. The elections were canceled and Lesotho was henceforth ruled by Jonathan by decree. After the opposition had accepted the annulment of the elections, put the constitution Jonathan partially reinstated. Elections were, however, could not take place. Several ministers of opposition groups were included in the Cabinet, a short time later he was soon dismissed. A coup attempt in 1974 by parts of the BCP was Jonathan; could also attacks the Lesotho Liberation Army ( LLA), which was later partially driven by South Africa, not hurt the government.
From the late 1970s criticized Jonathan despite the dependence of Lesotho from South Africa whose apartheid policy and publicly supported the African National Congress. As a result, it came to command actions of South Africa in Lesotho, where numerous people died, and further destabilization of South Africa. Jonathan allowed in return communist states such as North Korea to build embassies in Lesotho. Conservative circles of the BNP and the military followed this development only reluctantly. 1985 Jonathan announced an election date. The caucuses for putting up candidates were boycotted by all opposition parties. Then Jonathan said the choice - without a vote - for his party as won.
South Africa increased the pressure on the Jonathan government. At the turn of 1985/1986, all border crossings Lesotho were blocked for goods. On January 20, 1986 Jonathan's rule was ended by a military coup led by Major General Justin Metsing Lekhanya. Jonathan was made in August 1986 under house arrest. He died on 5 April 1987 at the age of 72 from stomach cancer.
Jonathan was married. His daughter Lydia Thikhoi Jonathan ( * 1951 ) is a scientist who was at the National University of Lesotho active in the second- highest administrative position as Pro- Vice-Chancellor.