Justin Metsing Lekhanya

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Justin Metsing Lekhanya (born April 7, 1938 in Thaba-Tseka ) is a Lesotho politician and former general. From 1986 to 1991 he was Prime Minister , Minister of Defense and Chairman of the Lesotho Military Council .

Life

Lekhanya attended primary and secondary schools of the Catholic Church . In 1960 he became a member of the Basutoland Mounted Police. In 1965 he became the only local high-ranking officer in the Police Mobile Unit, which under his leadership became the Lesotho Paramilitary Force in 1980 and later the Lesotho Defense Force .

Lekhanya became Prime Minister after a bloodless military coup on January 20, 1986, after ousting incumbent Leabua Jonathan . Lekhanya immediately sought improved relations with South Africa , which had been strained by the activities of his predecessor, who had supported the African National Congress . At the same time, political parties were banned and freedom of assembly was suspended. The contract with South Africa for the Lesotho Highlands Water Project was signed quickly.

Lekhanya first gave the Lesothic king Moshoeshoe II more power again, but later came into conflict with him. In 1990 he even stopped him. Instead, the older son Moshoeshoes was named Letsie III. new king. During his tenure, Lekhanya had to stand trial for allegedly shooting a student while he was raping a woman. Under pressure from the western donor countries and under the influence of the events in South Africa, he promised a return to democratic elections. However, Lekhanya was overthrown by dissatisfied officers in another military coup in May 1991 and replaced by Elias Phisoana Ramaema .

In the 1993 elections Lekhanya stood for the Basotho National Party (BNP) in the constituency of Mantšonyane and lost. In 1998 he supported the attempted coup against Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili , which could only be put down by the intervention of troops from South Africa and Botswana . In 1999 he was elected chairman of the BNP and confirmed in this office in 2001. In the parliamentary elections in May 2002, Lekhanya was again clearly defeated as a direct candidate against the candidate of the ruling party. Nonetheless, he became a member of the National Assembly because he entered parliament through the party list due to proportional representation . On May 31, 2005, he was temporarily expelled from the National Assembly for allegedly intimidating the chairman of parliament and, according to a committee of inquiry, personally enriching himself. In 2010 he was deposed as chairman of his own party. He has not been a member of parliament since 2012.

literature

  • Scott Rosenberg, Richard W. Weisfelder, Michelle Frisbie-Fulton: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland / Oxford 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4871-9 , pp. 155-158.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Scott Rosenberg, Richard W. Weisfelder, Michelle Frisbie-Fulton: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland / Oxford 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4871-9 , p. 155.
  2. ↑ a b Scott Rosenberg, Richard W. Weis fields Michelle Frisbie-Fulton: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland / Oxford 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4871-9 , p. 156.
  3. ^ A b c Scott Rosenberg, Richard W. Weisfelder, Michelle Frisbie-Fulton: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland / Oxford 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4871-9 , p. 157.
  4. ^ Scott Rosenberg, Richard F. Weisfelder: Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. New Edition. Scarecrow Press, Lanham 2011, ISBN 978-0-8108-7982-9 , p. 230. Excerpts from books.google.de
personal data
SURNAME Lekhanya, Justin Metsing
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Lesotho general, prime minister, defense minister and chairman of the military council
DATE OF BIRTH April 7, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH Thaba-Tseka