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Actions Help FAQs Can't find what you're looking for? Browse Collections A-Z University of London	Lesotho Coup, 1970 Remove from selection Add to selection Request this item TitleLesotho Coup, 1970 Held atInstitute of Commonwealth Studies Reference codeICS46 Date1970 Creator Leeman, Bernard (fl 1970)More Info on CreatorLess Info on Creator Bernard Leeman holds Bachelor and Doctorate degrees in African History from London and Bremen Universities, and a Masters in Applied Linguistics from the University of the Northern Territory, Australia. His academic career began with teaching at Asmara University, Eritrea. In 2001 he was Visiting Fellow at Oxford University, and from 2002 to 2004 taught at the School of Oriental and African Studies. From 1970 until 1986 he was involved in political and military work for the BCP of Lesotho and the PAC of Azania (South Africa). Scope and ContentCorrespondence and papers of Bernard Leeman on planned coup against the Prime Minister of Lesotho, Chief Leabua Jonathan, July-October 1970. Including correspondence with the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the Basotho Congress Party (BCP), notes on arms supplies and the activities of the South African Political Police. NotesLesotho, formerly known as Basutoland, became a British Protectorate in 1868. It was annexed to Cape Colony in 1871, but became a separate British Colony in 1884, and was administered as one of the High Commission Territories in Southern Africa (the others being Bechuanaland , now Botswana, and Swaziland). Modern party politics began in 1952 with the founding of the Basutoland Congress Party (BCP, renamed the Basotho Congress Party in 1966) by Dr Ntsu Mokhehle. At the first general election in 1965 the majority of seats in the new legislative assembly were won by the Basutoland National Party (BNP, renamed Basotho National Party in 1966), a conservative group, which had the support of the South African government. Following the election, Moshoeeshoe II, the paramount chief, was recognised as king. The BNP leader, Chief Leabua Jonathan, becamer Prime Minister. Basutoland became independent, as the Kingdom of Lesotho in October 1966. A General election was held in January 1970, when the opposition BCP appeared to have won a majority of seats in the National Assembly. Chief Jonathan declared a state of emergency, suspended the constutution and arrested Dr Mokhehle and other leaders of the BNP. The election was anulled and the county effectively passed under the Prime Minister's control. Conditions governing accessAt least 24 hours notice before a research visit. Open for research. However, access to individual items in the Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library archival collections may be restricted under the Data Protection Act or the Freedom of Information Act. Extent15 items System of ArrangementChronological Finding aidsHandlist available in the Special Collections reading room. A pdf version is also attached to this description. Also catalogued online (click on the "contains" icon below). Related files http://archives.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/resources/ICS46.pdf Level of descriptionfonds Hierarchy browser contains 15 parts Lesotho Coup, 1970 ICS46 \| 1970 fonds

TitleLesotho Coup, 1970

Held atInstitute of Commonwealth Studies

Reference codeICS46

Date1970

Creator
- Leeman, Bernard (fl 1970)More Info on CreatorLess Info on Creator
  Bernard Leeman holds Bachelor and Doctorate degrees in African History from London and Bremen Universities, and a Masters in Applied Linguistics from the University of the Northern Territory, Australia. His academic career began with teaching at Asmara University, Eritrea. In 2001 he was Visiting Fellow at Oxford University, and from 2002 to 2004 taught at the School of Oriental and African Studies. From 1970 until 1986 he was involved in political and military work for the BCP of Lesotho and the PAC of Azania (South Africa).

Scope and ContentCorrespondence and papers of Bernard Leeman on planned coup against the Prime Minister of Lesotho, Chief Leabua Jonathan, July-October 1970. Including correspondence with the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the Basotho Congress Party (BCP), notes on arms supplies and the activities of the South African Political Police.

NotesLesotho, formerly known as Basutoland, became a British Protectorate in 1868. It was annexed to Cape Colony in 1871, but became a separate British Colony in 1884, and was administered as one of the High Commission Territories in Southern Africa (the others being Bechuanaland , now Botswana, and Swaziland). Modern party politics began in 1952 with the founding of the Basutoland Congress Party (BCP, renamed the Basotho Congress Party in 1966) by Dr Ntsu Mokhehle. At the first general election in 1965 the majority of seats in the new legislative assembly were won by the Basutoland National Party (BNP, renamed Basotho National Party in 1966), a conservative group, which had the support of the South African government. Following the election, Moshoeeshoe II, the paramount chief, was recognised as king. The BNP leader, Chief Leabua Jonathan, becamer Prime Minister. Basutoland became independent, as the Kingdom of Lesotho in October 1966. A General election was held in January 1970, when the opposition BCP appeared to have won a majority of seats in the National Assembly. Chief Jonathan declared a state of emergency, suspended the constutution and arrested Dr Mokhehle and other leaders of the BNP. The election was anulled and the county effectively passed under the Prime Minister's control.

Conditions governing accessAt least 24 hours notice before a research visit. Open for research. However, access to individual items in the Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library archival collections may be restricted under the Data Protection Act or the Freedom of Information Act.

Extent15 items

System of ArrangementChronological

Finding aidsHandlist available in the Special Collections reading room. A pdf version is also attached to this description. Also catalogued online (click on the "contains" icon below).

Related files

http://archives.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/resources/ICS46.pdf

Level of descriptionfonds

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