Pakalitha Mosisili facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pakalitha Mosisili
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Mosisili in 2009
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| 3rd Prime Minister of Lesotho | |
| In office 17 March 2015 – 16 June 2017 |
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| Monarch | Letsie III |
| Preceded by | Thomas Motsoahae Thabane |
| Succeeded by | Tom Thabane |
| In office 29 May 1998 – 8 June 2012 |
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| Monarch | Letsie III |
| Preceded by | Ntsu Mokhehle |
| Succeeded by | Tom Thabane |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 March 1945 Waterfall, Basutoland (now Lesotho) |
| Political party | Basotho Congress Party (1967–1997) Congress for Democracy (1997–2012) Democratic Congress (2012–2019) |
| Spouse | Mathato Mosisili |
| Children | Thato Mosisili
Rethabile Mosisili Kekeletso Mosisili Maile Mosisili |
| Education | University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (BA) University of Wisconsin, Madison (MA) University of South Africa (BA) Simon Fraser University (MEd) |
Pakalitha Mosisili, born on March 14, 1945, is a politician from Lesotho. He served as the country's Prime Minister two times: first from 1998 to 2012, and then again from 2015 to 2017.
His political party, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), won many elections under his leadership. While he was Prime Minister, Mosisili also held the role of Minister of Defence. After an election in 2015, he formed a new government with other parties. He was sworn in as Prime Minister on March 17, 2015.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pakalitha Mosisili was born in a place called Waterfall in Qacha's Nek on March 14, 1945. He went to Eagle's Peak High School. After that, he studied at the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. He earned a degree in Education in 1970.
After he graduated, he was put in prison for a short time because of his political activities. He was a member of the Basotho Congress Party. Later, he continued his studies in the United States and Canada. He earned a Master's degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1976. He also got another degree from the University of South Africa through distance learning. In 1982, he earned a Master of Education degree from Simon Fraser University in Canada.
Political Journey
In 1993, Mosisili was elected to Parliament for the Qacha's Nek area. He became the Minister of Education. In 1994, he was briefly kidnapped by soldiers along with other ministers. Sadly, one minister was killed during this event.
In 1995, Mosisili became the Deputy Prime Minister. He was also the Minister of Education at first, then later the Minister of Home Affairs and Local Government.
Leading a New Party
In 1997, a new political party called the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) was formed. It was led by the Prime Minister at the time, Ntsu Mokhehle. Mosisili was chosen to lead the LCD in 1998 after Mokhehle decided to step down due to his health.
After the LCD won the 1998 election, some people accused them of cheating. There were big protests from other political parties. The situation became very tense. To help calm things down and protect the elected government, Mosisili asked for help from a group of southern African countries called the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Troops from South Africa and later Botswana came to Lesotho in September 1998. They helped to stop the unrest and bring back the democratically elected government.
Winning More Elections
New elections were held in 2002, and Mosisili's party won again. He was elected from the Tsoelike area this time. In 2006, another politician named Tom Thabane left the LCD and started a new party. This made the LCD's majority in Parliament very small.
Because of this, King Letsie III dissolved Parliament in November 2006. A new election was set for February 2007. The LCD won this election too, securing 61 seats.
In 2009, armed men attacked Mosisili's home, seemingly trying to harm him. Police stopped the attackers, and Mosisili was safe.
Later Years in Politics
After another election in February 2015, Mosisili was able to form a new government with other parties. He became Prime Minister again. However, in March 2017, he lost a vote of confidence in Parliament. This meant that most members of Parliament no longer supported him.
Because of this, an early election was called. King Letsie III dissolved Parliament on March 7, 2017. The election was held on June 3, 2017. This time, Tom Thabane's party won more seats than Mosisili's party.
On June 8, Mosisili officially resigned as Prime Minister. He continued to serve for a short time until Tom Thabane took over on June 16. In November 2018, Mosisili announced that he was retiring from politics. In January 2019, Mathibeli Mokhothu was chosen to lead Mosisili's party, the Democratic Congress.
Personal Life
Pakalitha Mosisili is married to Mathato Mosisili.
See also
In Spanish: Pakalitha Mosisili para niños
- South African intervention in Lesotho
- Politics of Lesotho
