Why the hole in the middle of South Africa?
Beginning:
Looking at the map of Africa, a strange sight will be seen. Across the middle of southern Africa is another country entirely, Lesotho. The second name on the list of such perforated countries is Italy, which includes Vatican City and San Marino. But why is there such a country in the middle of South Africa? How has Lesotho maintained its independence in such a large country?
It started during the Napoleonic era. After Napoleon conquered the Netherlands and annexed it to the French Empire, he also took possession of its colonies. Meanwhile, the English made an agreement with the Dutch that the English would try to protect their colonies from the French until Napoleon was defeated, and that the colonies would be returned to the Dutch after Napoleon was defeated. However, after the defeat of Napoleon, the British did not return all the colonies, they took the Cape Colony in South Africa. British settlements were built in groups in the Cape Colony.
 |
| Dutch colonies around the world; Image Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Meanwhile, the Dutch who were already in South Africa, known as 'Boers', became fed up with the British rule and began to leave the British territory and move north. It was there that the Boers clashed with the local Basotho (present-day Lesotho) population over the Boers' fertile land and several wars took place. Meanwhile, the King of the Basotho Mashwashua I, unable to deal with the Boers, sought the help of the British in 1865.
 |
| Boers migrated from Cape Colony to Orange Free State; Image Source: Wikimedia Commons |
The British also defended the request to help, but in return the British thought that the sovereignty of the Basotho would be transferred to the British. After six years of protecting the Basotho from the Dutch, the British announced that Basotholand would be annexed to the Cape Colony, where the British would settle and at the same time the Basotho would not be allowed to possess any arms to prevent rebellion.
 |
| Charles Davidson painting of Dutch commander Jan von Riebeeck building a base in South Africa; Image Source: Wikimedia Commons |
However, after a few days of this, there was a rebellion in Basotholand and the status of 'British Protectorate' of Basotholand was brought back again. The rest of South Africa came under British control within a few days, and all but the central Bastoland came under the Cape Colony. This continued until the 1960s and when the British Empire began to disintegrate, they gained their independence in 1966, with the constitutional name of 'Kingdom of Lesotho'. The Basotho National Party took power by enacting a parliamentary democracy, but the next election saw a military coup and political power struggles continued.
 |
| Flag of Lesotho; Image Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Since Lesotho was economically self-sufficient, it did not have to be completely dependent on its neighbor South Africa, which is why South Africa could not occupy it either. A takeover would also be subject to international pressure, as well as a Basotho rebellion. With the people of South Africa already seething with anger at the 'apartheid' or apartheid South African government, the acquisition of Bastoland could have taken an even more dire form.
 |
| Maseru, the capital of Lesotho; Image Source: Wikimedia Commons |
However, in order to maintain good relations with South Africa, at their instigation, the military commander, Major General Justin Metsing, was installed in power. However, with the fall of the apartheid government in South Africa, it also fell and the relationship between the two countries normalized. As a result, there is no threat to Lesotho's sovereignty. Later on, Lesotho's politics continued to be strained, but the country's sovereignty remained intact.