NATION IN VIEW: LESOTHO
Samuel Phillips is a writer, graphic designer, photographer, songwriter, singer…
…let LOVE lead.
The things going on in the world would be hilarious if they were not so dangerous to humanity and our collective well-being. It’s not just the wars, the carefully orchestrated food insecurity, and the many false climate change narratives. It’s the International Health Regulations and turning the World Health Organization, which is supposed to be an advisory body, into a body that can control your country, and more so, the very leaders you elected are the ones selling you out cheap. It’s making traditional farming practices illegal. It’s conforming every single unique human being who is born on this earth into a replica of each other through indoctrination… but I believe we can get back to where we should be. If we can work our way back to Love and also allow Love to work His ways within us. If we can recreate real justice, genuinely beneficial governance, and actual good plans for the people of Africa to thrive and succeed. If only we believe – then we can.
I do not think that anyone needs to be reminded that we have enough hate in our world already. We have enough of those who will stop at nothing to destroy the environment just so they can put more money in their already overflowing pockets. We have enough jealousy, envy, violence, enough divorces, enough dysfunctional families, and broken political systems that give awards to criminals and then the rotten justice systems that incarcerate innocent victims of overfed elites.
We have enough of everything that is wrong in our world and, quite frankly, we need a break from the norm, which has been instituted by the greed and pride of men. We need to return to the basis of brotherhood and that basis is called love. Love is the foundation of all created things, for out of the fullness of the life of the Eternal One, we all live, move, and have our beings.
It’s about time we let love lead us into all goodness and true prosperity. True prosperity that does not come from the oppression, manipulation, and subjugation of others but through letting go of pride, relinquishing selfishness, walking away from greed, shunning violence, and race supremacy. Why? A world that is run by cruelty, bloodshed, greed, wars, etc. will soon run itself to death and complete destruction. But this can change if we all go back to the reason why we were created and placed on this earth, which I believe strongly is not for violence and destruction.
There are those who claim to love or who express their love for nature by doing forest conservation or loving on their dogs and other pets, but the same people don’t mind bringing contaminated food, disease-infested clothes, and killer vaccines to Africa or to other places they call developing countries. Such love for nature and disdain for humanity can only be called foolishness and wickedness. It’s just a veil hiding the real heart. Dogs and trees don’t speak but humans can and will, and there lies the difference.
Within every one of us is the ability to love or hate. Even Hitler and some of the most vicious and blood-thirsty dictators of the world loved someone, either a family member or whoever else. So, that our world is in such a mess, is not because humans cannot love, but because our choices of what to extend love to are directly connected to our greed, ego, pride, and a benefactor syndrome. Consider the so-called NGOs and philanthropists who in the name of love and compassion for the “poor Africans”, bring into Africa a million dollars worth of aid but take out one hundred million dollars worth of blood-stained minerals, while plunging their host countries into untold devastation and chaos. These cycles of bloodletting in Africa in the name of natural resources should not continue. Enough with the deceptions and greed.
Going beyond love for gain
How deceptive it is to love, or express love, for the sake of getting some gains in return. But this is what we mostly have in our world. Relationships which are not based on selflessness, but instead are based on individual greed and the quest for personal gains. Or what you can call transactional love and relationships. These too are aspects of the origin of evil in our societies.
In contrast, however, nothing beats the beauty of little acts of love, kindness, goodness, compassion, good thoughts of hope, thoughts of goodwill towards others, thoughts of prayers for the wellbeing of others and of the world, etc., even in the midst of the huge darkness that is overrunning our world. It’s like the beautiful mountainous country of Lesotho, completely surrounded by South Africa. But this is not me saying that South Africa is the evil surrounding Lesotho, I am just trying to paint the picture of the uniqueness of this Mountain Kingdom called Lesotho in relation to how powerful small actions can be when they are done in true love.
About Lesotho
This is essentially an alpine country, where villagers on horseback in multicolored balaclavas and blankets greet you around precipitous bends. The hiking and trekking – often on a famed Basotho pony – is world class and the infrastructure of the three stunning national parks continues to improve. An astonishingly beautiful country, this ‘Mountain Kingdom’ needs to be seen to be believed. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination.
A Brief History
Lesotho was originally inhabited by local tribes of hunter-gatherers called the Khoisan. Later came the Bantu tribes and eventually the Sotho-Tswana peoples. In 1822 King Moshoeshoe I united the land under one rule for the first time. Lesotho (formerly Basutoland) was constituted as a native state under British protection by a treaty signed with the native chief Moshoeshoe in 1843.
It was annexed to Cape Colony in 1871, but in 1884 it was restored to direct control by the Crown. The colony of Basutoland became the independent nation of Lesotho on October 4th, 1966, with King Moshoeshoe II as sovereign. For the first 20 years, the Basotho National Party remained in power. The country has since had changes in power and leaders with some protests and some unrest.
Prayer for Lesotho
In a world filled with much development brought by much devastation of lives, cultures, and societies, there remains a need for those who still understand and embrace the need for the simple things of life in relation to love, life, culture, and brotherhood. May you, mighty Lesotho, be a true beacon of hope and truth for the rest of Africa and the world. Though small in size, you are big in significance and rich in love. So, take the lead for love, stand for love, and by the love that will pour out of your limited size, great emancipation will be seen in Africa. Remain blessed.
Key Facts
Total Size: 30,355 square km
General Terrain: mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Geographical High Point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m
Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Major cities: MASERU (capital) population of 220,000
Languages Spoken: Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Independence: 4 October 1966
Nationality: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
Religions: Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20%
National Symbol: Basotho hat
National Anthem or Song: Lesotho fatse la bo ntat’a rona (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers)
Economy of Lesotho Major Industries: food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism, subsistence farming
Agricultural Products: corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock
Natural Resources: water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
Major Exports: manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food, and live animals
Major Imports: food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products
Currency: loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR)
National GDP: $3,723,000,000
Source: https://www.gov.ls/tourism/
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Samuel Phillips is a writer, graphic designer, photographer, songwriter, singer and a lover of God. As an Afrikan content creator, he is passionate about creating a better image and positive narrative about Afrika and Afrikans. He is a true Afrikan who believes that the true potential of Afrika and Afrikans can manifest through God and accurate collaborations between Afrikans. Afrika is the land of kings, emperors, original wisdom, ancient civilizations, great men and women and not some road-side-aid-begging poor third world continent that the world finds joy in undermining.