Background
He was born in 1926 into a fairly well-to-do sheep-farming family at Mamathes, a village in northern Lesotho’s Berea district.
He was born in 1926 into a fairly well-to-do sheep-farming family at Mamathes, a village in northern Lesotho’s Berea district.
After primary education in the district he was sent to South Africa’s Cape Province for secondary education.
After Ntsu Mokhehle founded the Basutoland Congress Party in 1952 he helped establish a branch at Cape Town and in 1955 became branch secretary. On his return to Maseru in 1956 he played a key role in trade union organisation. In 1959 he was appointed to the party executive and was given the job of treasurer.
His ability as a fund-raiser, travelling between 1961 and 1965 to the Soviet Union, China, East Germany, Ghana and Egypt boosted the party’s prospects of winning power but Chief Jonathan's party came out on top at the 1965 elections. Undaunted, Mokhehle redoubled his efforts to create a strong enough financial base for victory in the January 1970 elections.
When victory was denied by Chief Jonathan declaring a state of emergency as election results pointed to defeat, Mokhehle escaped arrest on January 30, 1970 by going underground. After an appeal by his brother he surrendered three months later and served his term of detention like the rest.
Active trade union organiser armed with all the toughness for success in that sector. For some he is a man of dangerous excitability but for others his enthusiasm is essential to his political drive.