Lesotho - Head of Government

The Rt Hon Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili was re-elected to a third term as Prime Minister of Lesotho following the 17 February 2007 general election. He is concurrently Minister of Defence and National Security.

Mr Mosisili served as Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community from August 2006 to August 2007.

He has been leading the Lesotho Congress for Democracy party since February 1998. Mr Mosisili was Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for Home Affairs and Local Government from 1995 to 1998. Before this he held the post of Minister for Education and Manpower Development from 1993 to 1995 after being elected to Parliament.

Mr Mosisili was formerly a member of the Basutoland Congress Party in 1967.

He has a Master’s degree in Education from the Simon Fraser University, Canada, and a Master’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin, USA. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Sesotho from the University of South Africa, and from the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Mr Mosisili started his career as a high school teacher and a lecturer in African languages at various universities in Southern Africa.

He was born on 14 March 1945 in Qacha’s Nek, Lesotho.