Lesotho King’s Brother Held

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32222, 14 February 1970, Page 11

Lesotho King’s Brother Held

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) MASERU (Lesotho), February 13. Armed men tried to capture police headquarters in Maseru last night after an announcement early in the day that the brother of King Moshoeshoe, Chief Mathealira Seeiso, had been arrested in the country’s eastern mountains.

King Moshoeshoe himself is restricted to his palace. Police mobile units went into action when sporadic bursts of gunfire were heard in several parts of the town. Eyewitnesses said the shooting began at police headquarters itself, and one report said that several armed men had tried to take over the headquarters.

It was not known whether the shooting was connected with the arrest of Chief Seeiso, whose stronghold of Mokhotlong returned the four Opposition Basutoland Congress Party candidates with large majorities in the abortive general elections last month. The Prime Minister, Chief Leabua Jonathan, who supports South Africa, scrapped the elections, which were said to be won by the Opposition with a majority of 36 in the 60 seat assembly, declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and threw the Leader of the Opposition (Ntsu Mokhehle) and other members of the Basutoland Congress Party into gaol. He also accused the Opposition of rigging the elections.

The Basutoland Congress Partv is pan-Africanist. Chief Seeiso, who is 31, was educated at Oxford. He is third in line of succession after the king’s two sons. Informed sources said that Chief Seeiso was detained by a mobile unit of police who flew to the remote mountain region in three light aircraft. At present he is restricted to the former governor’s bungalow which serves as his palace.