Latest news with #KingLetsieIII
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Lesotho's jockeys saddle up for mountain horse racing
Swathed in vibrant woollen blankets against the biting winter chill, jockeys -- some no more than boys -- thundered down a dusty track carved between the undulating hills of the tiny kingdom of Lesotho. Spectators lining the ridges cheered on the riders as their horses sprinted down one of Africa's highest tracks, more than 2,200 metres (7,200 feet) above sea level. Horse racing in Lesotho, a country ringed by South Africa, is not just a sport, it is a cultural carnival where wagers are the real blood sport. This weekend's edition in the village of Semonkong in central Lesotho carried extra weight; it was the premium fixture of the season and timed to mark King Letsie III's birthday. Preparations started before the crowd arrived, with the horses, also wrapped in blankets and balaclavas to keep warm, walked to the arena in song and dance, then brushed and fitted with weather-worn saddles for their races. - Being 'focused' - For many jockeys the track is a rare escape. The country of around 2.3 million people ranks among the world's poorest, its rich mineral wealth overshadowed by sky-high youth unemployment and a troubling rate of suicide. The textile-dependent economy faces further gloom, with fresh uncertainty following tariffs announced by the administration of US President Donald Trump, who earlier this year mocked Lesotho as a place "nobody has ever heard of". The unspoken rule is that you have to forget all your problems or you will fall, jockey Tsaenh Masosa told AFP. "You have to be focused," said the 21-year-old hotel employee, layered in white, pink and blue jackets. Races stretch between 800 and 1,200 metres across a rugged mountain terrain that tests both the rider and horse. Winners pocket up to 1,500 loti ($85) per race, a significant payday in Lesotho, where more than 36 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day, according to the World Bank. At the trackside, most bets are simple showdowns -- punters backing one horse to outrun another, rather than the overall race winner. There are no tickets or betting slips, just fistfuls of cash, tense stares and quick payouts as money changes hands the moment one horse edges out another at the finish line. - Horses over football - Horses first arrived in Lesotho with European settlers in the 19th century, and over generations, crossbreeding gave rise to the sturdy Basotho pony -- mid-sized, tough and known for its endurance. These ponies, along with cross-breeds and thoroughbreds from neighbouring South Africa, now make up the racing stock. But beyond the track, horses remain part of daily life. In the mountains, they are still used to herd sheep and goats, or to reach remote villages where no roads go. That deep connection runs through the culture. "All the people from Semonkong prefer horse racing to football," said 39-year-old maintenance worker Andreas Motlatsi Mojaje. On the dusty oval, Masosa is still chasing his first win. He has raced seven times, coming closest with a second-place finish, but that has not dulled his hunger. "I like fast horses, it makes me enjoy," he said with a smile.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lesotho's jockeys saddle up for mountain horse racing
Swathed in vibrant woollen blankets against the biting winter chill, jockeys -- some no more than boys -- thundered down a dusty track carved between the undulating hills of the tiny kingdom of Lesotho. Spectators lining the ridges cheered on the riders as their horses sprinted down one of Africa's highest tracks, more than 2,200 metres (7,200 feet) above sea level. Horse racing in Lesotho, a country ringed by South Africa, is not just a sport, it is a cultural carnival where wagers are the real blood sport. This weekend's edition in the village of Semonkong in central Lesotho carried extra weight; it was the premium fixture of the season and timed to mark King Letsie III's birthday. Preparations started before the crowd arrived, with the horses, also wrapped in blankets and balaclavas to keep warm, walked to the arena in song and dance, then brushed and fitted with weather-worn saddles for their races. - Being 'focused' - For many jockeys the track is a rare escape. The country of around 2.3 million people ranks among the world's poorest, its rich mineral wealth overshadowed by sky-high youth unemployment and a troubling rate of suicide. The textile-dependent economy faces further gloom, with fresh uncertainty following tariffs announced by the administration of US President Donald Trump, who earlier this year mocked Lesotho as a place "nobody has ever heard of". The unspoken rule is that you have to forget all your problems or you will fall, jockey Tsaenh Masosa told AFP. "You have to be focused," said the 21-year-old hotel employee, layered in white, pink and blue jackets. Races stretch between 800 and 1,200 metres across a rugged mountain terrain that tests both the rider and horse. Winners pocket up to 1,500 loti ($85) per race, a significant payday in Lesotho, where more than 36 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day, according to the World Bank. At the trackside, most bets are simple showdowns -- punters backing one horse to outrun another, rather than the overall race winner. There are no tickets or betting slips, just fistfuls of cash, tense stares and quick payouts as money changes hands the moment one horse edges out another at the finish line. - Horses over football - Horses first arrived in Lesotho with European settlers in the 19th century, and over generations, crossbreeding gave rise to the sturdy Basotho pony -- mid-sized, tough and known for its endurance. These ponies, along with cross-breeds and thoroughbreds from neighbouring South Africa, now make up the racing stock. But beyond the track, horses remain part of daily life. In the mountains, they are still used to herd sheep and goats, or to reach remote villages where no roads go. That deep connection runs through the culture. "All the people from Semonkong prefer horse racing to football," said 39-year-old maintenance worker Andreas Motlatsi Mojaje. On the dusty oval, Masosa is still chasing his first win. He has raced seven times, coming closest with a second-place finish, but that has not dulled his hunger. "I like fast horses, it makes me enjoy," he said with a smile. vid-ho/jhb
France 24
3 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Lesotho's jockeys saddle up for mountain horse racing
Spectators lining the ridges cheered on the riders as their horses sprinted down one of Africa's highest tracks, more than 2,200 metres (7,200 feet) above sea level. Horse racing in Lesotho, a country ringed by South Africa, is not just a sport, it is a cultural carnival where wagers are the real blood sport. This weekend's edition in the village of Semonkong in central Lesotho carried extra weight; it was the premium fixture of the season and timed to mark King Letsie III's birthday. Preparations started before the crowd arrived, with the horses, also wrapped in blankets and balaclavas to keep warm, walked to the arena in song and dance, then brushed and fitted with weather-worn saddles for their races. Being 'focused' For many jockeys the track is a rare escape. The country of around 2.3 million people ranks among the world's poorest, its rich mineral wealth overshadowed by sky-high youth unemployment and a troubling rate of suicide. The textile-dependent economy faces further gloom, with fresh uncertainty following tariffs announced by the administration of US President Donald Trump, who earlier this year mocked Lesotho as a place "nobody has ever heard of". The unspoken rule is that you have to forget all your problems or you will fall, jockey Tsaenh Masosa told AFP. "You have to be focused," said the 21-year-old hotel employee, layered in white, pink and blue jackets. Races stretch between 800 and 1,200 metres across a rugged mountain terrain that tests both the rider and horse. Winners pocket up to 1,500 loti ($85) per race, a significant payday in Lesotho, where more than 36 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day, according to the World Bank. At the trackside, most bets are simple showdowns -- punters backing one horse to outrun another, rather than the overall race winner. There are no tickets or betting slips, just fistfuls of cash, tense stares and quick payouts as money changes hands the moment one horse edges out another at the finish line. Horses over football Horses first arrived in Lesotho with European settlers in the 19th century, and over generations, crossbreeding gave rise to the sturdy Basotho pony -- mid-sized, tough and known for its endurance. These ponies, along with cross-breeds and thoroughbreds from neighbouring South Africa, now make up the racing stock. But beyond the track, horses remain part of daily life. In the mountains, they are still used to herd sheep and goats, or to reach remote villages where no roads go. That deep connection runs through the culture. "All the people from Semonkong prefer horse racing to football," said 39-year-old maintenance worker Andreas Motlatsi Mojaje. On the dusty oval, Masosa is still chasing his first win. He has raced seven times, coming closest with a second-place finish, but that has not dulled his hunger.
![Visit of Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles [MoS (PM)] to Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fzawya.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Zawya
16-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Visit of Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles [MoS (PM)] to Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa
Shri Pabitra Margherita, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles [Mos (PM)] will pay an official visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Kingdom of Lesotho from 18-22 July 2025 and to the Republic of South Africa from 23-25 July 2025. 2. During his visit to Eswatini, MoS (PM) is scheduled to pay courtesy call on His Majesty King Mswati III and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Eswatini. He is expected to hold meeting with Foreign Minister of Eswatini to discuss matters of mutual interest and to review the progress of bilateral relations. The visit will focus on strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade&investment, capacity building, development partnership and people-to-people exchanges. MoS (PM) will also engage with the Indian diaspora and participate in events highlighting India's development partnership initiatives in Eswatini. This visit is expected to further enhance the longstanding and friendly relations between India and the Kingdom of Eswatini. 3. In the Kingdom of Lesotho, MoS (PM) is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on His Majesty King Letsie III, and the Right Honourable Mr. Samuel Matekane, Prime Minister of Kingdom of Lesotho. MoS will also have bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations. He is expected to meet the Minister of Information, Communications, Science, Technology&Innovation, the Minister of Education&Training, and the Minister of Labour and Employment in Maseru. This Ministerial visit to Kingdom of Lesotho is being undertaken after a gap of 10 years following the first-ever Ministerial visit from India to Lesotho by Hon'ble Minister of State (IC) Culture, Tourism&MoS for Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, on 9 July 2015 as Special Envoy of Hon'ble Prime Minister to deliver invitations for the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit to the leadership of the Government of Lesotho. 4. In South Africa, MoS (PM) will lead a delegation to participate in the upcoming G-20 Development Ministerial Meetings (DMM) on 24-25 July 2025 in Skukuza, South Africa and is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with the South African Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Hon'ble Ms. Maropene Lydia Ramokgopa and other Ministers responsible for Development and Heads of Delegations of other G20 Members, invited countries and International Organizations participating in the DMM. 5. MoS (PM) is also expected to have bilateral engagements and interactions with prominent leaders of businesses and members of the Indian community in Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of External Affairs - Government of India.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MP charged for accusing Lesotho king of signing over country to South Africa
A Lesotho MP is facing criminal charges after he accused the country's monarch and government of signing over control of Lesotho to its much larger neighbour, South Africa. Dr Tshepo Lipholo also faces charges of "violating the dignity and reputation" of the royal family by declaring himself the chief ruler of the landlocked country. He reportedly appeared in court on Monday to apply for bail but this was postponed to a later date this month. The opposition MP has previously called for parts of South Africa to be declared "Lesotho's territory" and wants them returned to Lesotho's control, Among them is the Free State, one of the three South African provinces that share a border with the small southern African nation. Dr Lipholo is also laying claim to parts of the Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The people of Lesotho, called Basotho, lived in these areas until the 19th Century, when they were seized by Afrikaners - white South Africans. Many still live there, especially the Free State. Lesotho MP demands huge parts of South Africa Who benefits from Lesotho's 'white gold'? In the charge sheet, which the BBC has seen, the state accuses the lawmaker of "uttering seditious words" and "inciting public violence" by saying King Letsie III and the government had "signed [over] Lesotho to become the 10th South African province". These remarks were allegedly made between April and June 2025 on various social media platforms and radio interviews, according to the state. He is also accused of declaring himself the paramount chief of Basutoland, the country's colonial name, despite the king's presence. A retired army official, Major General Samuel Makoro, was also arrested on Friday for allegedly supporting Mr Lipholo and providing him with sensitive information. Dr Lipholo is the leader of the Basotho Covenant Movement (BCM), which has a single seat in parliament. His motion, which was previously debated in Lesotho's parliament, is based on a 1962 United Nations resolution that recognised the right to self-determination and independence for the people of Basutoland. The view from South African officials is that the motion to reclaim territories some Basotho view as their own does not stand a chance of happening, because it does not enjoy the support of the majority in Lesotho. One of the key stumbling blocks is the 1964 Cairo Declaration of the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union, whereby African leaders agreed to recognise the existing borders of their newly independent countries, even if they were drawn up by colonial powers with little regard to where different ethnic groups lived, to avoid stirring up conflict across the continent. South Africa's foreign affairs ministry reaffirmed this view in response to a question in parliament earlier this year. Dr Lipholo has previously told Lesotho media that he also hopes to have the motion discussed in the British Parliament "since it was the UK that gave Lesotho its independence in 1966, without correcting the borders seized by the Afrikaners". According to a source, his legal team was given until 25 July 2025 to argue for bail. He remains in policy custody. Additional reporting by Pumza Fihlani Nine things about Lesotho - the country 'nobody has ever heard of' How jeans and diamonds pushed Lesotho to the top of Trump's tariffs list The small African country with the world's highest suicide rate Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
