Traditional system of rule of the Basotho

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The traditional ruling system of the Basotho is still a power factor in Lesotho today .

history

From foundation to colonial times

Moshoeshoe I.

Until the middle of the 19th century, the Sesotho -speaking ethnic groups were led by a morena (plural: barena ; literally: “protector and provider”, English chief ). The morena had numerous tasks, such as land distribution, jurisdiction, military operations and ensuring food supplies. In return, the population had to do free field work for the morena . This principle was called matsema . The power of the morena was not absolute. If people were not satisfied, they switched to another morena. If a morena died, his oldest son usually inherited the office. Occasionally another, more capable son became morena. The barena were polygamous , so that there were usually many male descendants. The women were numbered according to the wedding date: a son of the first wife was in the line of succession, even if he was younger, before a son of the second wife. There were also wives who were generally of low status (English: junior wives ). This system was last practiced by Seeiso Griffith (1905–1940) - by the chiefs .

In the middle of the 1830s, the name morena e moholo ("great protector and supplier", English paramount chief ) was used for the first time for the influential morena Moshoeshoe I. He made sure that his son Letsie I received the same title when he took office in 1870. The British colonial authorities supported the strong position of a morena e moholo because it made it easier for them to run the Basutoland colony . Most of the power, especially foreign and security policy, the judiciary of serious crimes and administration, now rested with the colonial administration. Letsie's successor Lerotholi wrote the Laws of Lerotholi in the Basutoland National Council (BNC) , which dealt with Basotho customs .

Traditionally, a morena e moholo settled in his grandfather's village after taking office. Letsie I. built a village near Morija , Matsieng ("The Village of Letsie's People"). Lerotholi could not settle in Thaba Bosiu , however, because his uncle Masopha kept the area occupied. Lerotholi founded another village near Matsieng, so that the Matsieng region finally became the permanent seat of the barena ba baholo . His son Griffith Lerotholi was baptized Catholic in 1913 . Almost all barena subsequently became Catholic.

In addition to the morena e moholo, there are other barena with extended rights, which appeared at the beginning of the 20th century as Sons of Moshoeshoe ("Sons of Moshoeshoes") and could, for example, determine the successor to a morena e moholo in the event of a dispute . Its English-language title is principal chief. There are 17 - 22 according to another count - descendants of Moshoeshoe, i.e. Bakoena, plus the principal chiefs of the Bataung , the Batlokoa and the Makhoakhoa as well as two independent barena from the Mohale's-Hoek district . They were also ex officio members of the BNC.

Since the independence of Lesotho

Moshoeshoe II (1988)
Letsie III. (2013)

With the approach of independence, the role of the morena e moholo was also discussed. The morena e moholo, then Moshoeshoe II , was assigned the role of a king ( motlotlehi, literally: " Who is worthy to be praised") in a constitutional monarchy . He had certain say, which he tried in vain to expand. Instead, he was exiled twice and restricted to a representative role.

The 22 principal chiefs named in the constitution are among the members of the Senate . They are assigned to certain regions of Lesotho. Under the constitutions of 1966 and 1993, they form the College of Chiefs, which has the authority to appoint a king or regent in the event of the death or abdication of a king, and to keep the relevant archives.

Below the level of the principal chiefs there are the ward chiefs and - at the village level - the headmen, who are also called morena on Sesotho . They call a gathering of all villagers, pitso, if necessary . They can act as judges for minor offenses.

The powers of the barena were curtailed several times through colonial reforms , around 1938 and 1948. The matsema system was abolished. Instead, representatives elected by the people took over the tasks. In the 1990s, the ruling Basutoland Congress Party stripped the barena of the right to land distribution, which has since been exercised by village councils. From 2012 to 2013, there was a trial in the Constitutional Court in which Senate Masupha, the daughter of a principal chief , challenged the passage of the Chieftainship Act, which provides for male succession. The case caused a stir internationally. The court dismissed the woman's application and her appeal . However, there are a number of women in Lesotho with the title khosana (German also: "Prince") or chieftainess, who are only allowed to hold office if there is no son or until the son is of legal age.

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. 52-56.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 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. 52.
  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. 53.
  3. ↑ 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. 54.
  4. ^ A b c d 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. 55.
  5. ↑ Schedule 2 of the Lesotho Constitution at constituteproject.org (English; PDF), accessed on October 11, 2017
  6. ↑ B. Makalo Khaketla: Lesotho, 1970: An African coup under the microscope. University of California Press, Berkeley 1972, ISBN 0520021681 , p. 153. Digitized
  7. ^ 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. 56.
  8. ↑ report at osisa.org (English), accessed on 24 March 2013
  9. ↑ Report at africasacountry.com ( Memento from February 8, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
  10. ↑ Lesotho chieftainship for men only Mail & Guardian on May 24, 2013 (English), accessed on July 3, 2013
  11. ↑ Kylie Kiunguyu: Meet Senate Masupha, the woman challenging Lesotho's sexist chieftain laws. thisisafrica.me, September 19, 2018, accessed February 5, 2019