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Economic Independence for Lesotho?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2008

Michael Ward
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Extract

At midnight on the evening of 3 October 1966, the former British Protectorate of Basutoland attained its political independence and assumed the new title of Lesotho. From that time, after a period of nearly 100 years of colonial administration, the British Government officially relinquished all its formal, direct, legal and financial control of the country. Although this has not meant, as some have suggested, the complete rejection by Britain of any financial assistance and responsibility to its former dependency, it has nevertheless forced Lesotho to become to an even greater extent than ever before the economic hostage of South Africa. In the context of the present good relations between South Africa and Lesotho, the term ‘hostage’ is perhaps the wrong one to use, conveying as it does fairly strong emotional overtones. But it is clear from even the most cursory examination of the economic situation that Lesotho will become more and more economically dependent upon South Africa—irrespective of the political party in power. As an enclave of South Africa, Lesotho has always been closely integrated economically with the Republic by virtue of its peculiar geographical position.1 This, together with the country's extreme climate and inhospitable terrain, enforces an external dependence which makes nonsense of political desires for complete self-sufficiency.

Type
Articles
Information
The Journal of Modern African Studies , Volume 5 , Issue 3 , November 1967 , pp. 355 - 368
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1967

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References

Page 355 note 1 Lesotho has been well described by its present High Commissioner in London as ‘a prisoner of geography’.

Page 356 note 1 Source: Lesotho. 1966 Census—Preliminary Results (Maseru, 1966).Google Scholar Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

Page 356 note 2 Source: Ibid. Table 3. Figures for earlier censuses should be treated with reserve, remembering that a more accurate enumeration may cause a sudden apparent increase in the rate of growth.

Page 358 note 1 Leistner, G. M. E., ‘Lesotho, Economic Structure and Growth’ in Communication of the Africa Institute (Pretoria), 5, 1966.Google Scholar

Page 359 note 1 1960 Agricultural Census: Basutoland (Morojele) (Maseru, 1963).Google Scholar

Page 360 note 1 Source: Preliminary Report: National Income and Balance of Payments Accounts of Lesotho, 1964–5 and 1965–6.

Page 360 note 2 C.D.W. funds transferred to revenue.

Page 361 note 1 Source: same as Table 3.

Page 361 note 2 Includes co-operative grant to the Co-operative Union Bank, 1965–6.

Page 361 note 3 Appropriated for capital expenditure.

Page 362 note 1 Source: same as Table 3.

Page 363 note 1 World Health Organisation, Nutrition Survey, Basutoland (Rome).Google Scholar

Page 363 note 2 Basutoland, Bachuanaland Protectorate, and Swaziland. Report of an Economic Survey Mission (London, 1960).Google Scholar

Page 363 note 3 Leistner, op. cit.

Page 364 note 1 Source: Lesotho: Trade Statement, 1966 (Maseru, 1967), Table I. £I =2R.Google Scholar

Page 365 note 1 Source: Ibid. Table II.

Page 366 note 1 Taxes on exports from Lesotho provide an incentive for smuggling wool, mohair, and livestock to South Africa. There is also some smuggling of diamonds.

Page 366 note 2 Lewes, F. M. M., ‘Some Tables on the National Income of Basutoland’, in South Afrkan Journal of Economies (Johannesburg), xxxiii, 2, 06 1965.Google Scholar

Page 367 note 1 Source: Preliminary Report: National Income and Balance of Payments Accounts of Lesotho,1964–5 and 1965–6.