South African refugees leave Lesotho

Updated: 30 Sep 2019

The Lesotho government announced that an undisclosed number of South African refugees have decided to leave Lesotho voluntarily. Most of the refugees belonged to various liberation movements banned from operating in South Africa by the Apartheid government. Others were in Lesotho after constant harassment and fear of arrest if they did not give information on their family members or relatives in exile. Two days after the announcement, the first batch of twenty-two African National Congress (ANC) members were airlifted to Mozambique and Tanzania. Another 200 were to follow later. This was because Lesotho was no longer safe as the country was threatened with sanctions by South Africa.

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How we know this

01Kalley, J.A.; Schoeman, E. & Andor, L.E. (eds)(1999). Southern African Political History: a chronology of key political events from independence to mid-1997, Westport: Greenwood.
02Lesotho,'South African refugees have decided voluntarily to withdraw from Lesotho',[online],Available at: www.lesotho.blogspot.com[Accessed: 03 September 2013]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). South African refugees leave Lesotho. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012528

South African History Online (2011) 'South African refugees leave Lesotho', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012528 (Accessed: 21 July 2026).

South African History Online, South African refugees leave Lesotho [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012528, (accessed 21 July 2026).

"South African refugees leave Lesotho." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012528. Accessed 21 July 2026.

South African History Online. "South African refugees leave Lesotho." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012528.