Background
He was born on May 4, 1918, into the royal family at Mount Moorosi, a descendant of the venerated King Moshesh, the founder of the Basotho nation.
He was born on May 4, 1918, into the royal family at Mount Moorosi, a descendant of the venerated King Moshesh, the founder of the Basotho nation.
Educated at Roman Catholic mission schools up to secondary level.
For over six years he worked in South Africa as a medical assistant in the rough-and-ready hospital in a labourers’ compound outside Johannesburg. He returned home in 1946 to be installed as chief of one of the best-known tribes in the south. He became president of the Tribal Court in 1946 and afterwards an assessor of the High Court. He built up his business empire on a group of trading stores and a bus service.
At the end of his brief spell as Prime Minister he was appointed Minister for Home Affairs. At each stage of Chief Jonathan's struggle with King Moshoeshoe II he gave powerful backing to the Prime Minister because he was a resolute defender of the traditional powers of the chiefs which he believed could be seriously undermined by too much scope for the royal prerogative. He was the leading hardliner at the time of the upheavals in December 1969 when rioters clashed with the police and were killed. He stiffened Chief Jonathan’s resolve over a state of emergency and supported him all the way over the imprisonment of political opponents. After the election results were set aside he became Minister of Agriculture in February 1970.
After joining the Basutoland National Party in 1959—the year it was founded by Chief Jonathan—he took some time to find his feet in politics. He was defeated at the District Council elections in 1960 when the Congress Party came out on top and he had to rely upon receiving a nominated seat in the National Council. Gradually, he asserted himself and became vicepresident of the National Party. His position strengthened in the south, he won the seat at losing in the Quthing district at the general elections in April 1965.
Physical Characteristics: A dominant figure with a deep bass voice booming over the political scene, a forceful stocky figure who does not shrink from harsh measures against any opposition.