Lesotho and Tutu: What do they have in common? April 8, 2008
Posted by Clarissa Hughes in : African Peoples, Tourism , trackback
Apart from the cute rhyme there are a number of traits that are common to the Archbishop emeritus and the small southern Africa Kingdom.
Contained in the fortress of the Drakensberg and Maluti mountains Lesotho lies 1000m above sea level - close to God.
Like Desmond Tutu, the Basotho people under their founder, King Moshoeshoe, fought hard for independence and self-governance. And, after conquering his foes, King Moshoeshoe remained generous and gracious in his exalted position.
The Basotho are justly proud of King Moshoeshoe . His name, pronounced “Moshweshwe” is onomatopoeic of the sound of an enemy being debarbed. After all a man without a beard is no-man. And as a young warrior he adopted this name to show what he could, and would, do to his adversaries.
Revealingly, the modern Basotho realize that his martial qualities were not the primary reason for his greatness. His mentor, Mohlome, whom the Basotho hold in high esteem, is credited with moulding King Moeshoeshoe into the gracious and benevolent leader that he was.
Mohlome, was a great friend of Moshoeshoe’s grandfather and spent years coaching the young leader in statecraft. At a time of great upheaval – the Zulu Difiqane wars sent waves upon waves of displaced people looking for refuge or conquest themselves all over southern Africa – Moeshoeshoe learned to value peace and became non-discriminatory under Mohlome’s tutorship. He is known to have sent cattle and food to tribes that he’d just defeated in battle, to prevent them starving.
A little known fact is that Moshoeshoe’s mother was a leper. He did not banish her to some godforsaken place but had her housed in a nearby cave with attendant women. He regularly visited her in the cave and when the plateau of the great settlement was under siege from enemies, moved the Royal household into the cave with Mother.
Lesotho still has a strong sense of tradition and both young men and women are sent off to initiation schools where they go through their rites of passage to adulthood. The photos indicate the different garb they don for this. I can’t help but think the boys are a bit like male birds – lots of loud plumage! Not that Desmond Tutu, dressed in purple robes, has that avian look … or does he?
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