Districts of Lesotho

Thaba Tseka is located in the mountains of Lesotho and almost directly in the middle of the country. It is a relatively new town, being established as a district centre in the 1970s. It too has seen tremendous growth due to the construction of the Katse and Mohale Dams, and is on the southern route between Maseru and Katse.

Qacha’s Nek

It is said that Qacha’s Nek was established in the late 19th century as a mission station and is some 1980m above sea level. From here one can also gain access to the Sehlabathebe National Park, the country’s first national park. One of its main attractions are the giant California Redwood Trees that grow to a height in excess of 25 metres and are generally over 50 years old.

Archeological evidence exists that suggests that this part of Lesotho was inhabited as far back as 50 000 years ago. Today, it is connected to Mohale's Hoek by tarred road, and it has easy access to Matatiele in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

Quthing

At the southernmost point of Lesotho is the town of Quthing. Its name is derived from the San word "Qu" meaning "River". It is said to have been established in the late 19th century, abandoned and subsequently re-built to what we have today. It is also known as ‘Moyeni’, meaning “the place of the wind”. Some 5 kilometres from Quthing, one finds the Masitise Cave House Museum, an old mission that was extraordinarily built into a Bushman (San) Rock shelter in the mid-1800s. Quthing is also home to a number of sites of Dinosaur footprints and a Bushman (San) paintings cave nearby.

Mohale’s Hoek

As one continues in an anti-clockwise direction or further south from Mafeteng, one reaches Mohale’s Hoek, once again the centre of the district that goes by the same name. Mohale’s Hoek was named after the younger brother of King Moshoeshoe I who gave the land to the British, from where they ran their administrative affairs.

Mohale's Hoek is some 120 kilometres from Maseru, and is connected to the Capital city via a tarred road. It is considered the main town in the South of the country. Not far from Mohale's Hoek are the famous Cannibal Caves, that are easily accessible for visitors.

Mafeteng

Found further to the south of Matsieng and Morija is Mafeteng, the capital of the district that bears the same name. It is located some 80 kilometres to the South of Maseru, and not far from the Van Rooyen’s Gate border crossing into the Free State in South Africa. Mafeteng is a former Garrison town, but which developed as an important centre of Lesotho’s literacy history. The town hosts the memorial to the Cape Mounted Rifles who were defeated in the 1880 Gun War.

Mafeteng has grown rapidly since the country attained its independence, and is now a bustling town centre supporting the surrounding communities. It is also the site of the Lesotho Pharmaceutical Corporation, a subsidiary of the Lesotho National Development Corporation (“LNDC”) (www.lndc.org.za), and an employer of numerous citizens of the town.

Mokhotlong

Once again, this capital city, found in the mountains to north-east of Lesotho, bears the same name as the district it is the centre of. The name Mokhotlong means the "place of the bald Ibis" and it is the main town in the highlands of Lesotho, with access to South Africa being via the picturesque and dramatic Sani Pass. From Mokhotlong one is also able to reach the highest point in the Southern Africa at Thabana Ntlenyana, which means "Pretty Little Mountain" (3,482m). It is also from here that one gets to the Sehlabathebe National Park.

Butha Buthe

As with some of the other districts, Butha Buthe is the capital city of the district of the same name. It is Lesotho’s second largest city, with a bustling town centre, government and other administrative buildings, retail outlets and a number of hotels. It also has one of Lesotho’s larger Mosques as a result of its sizeable Indian community. It is located some 125 kilometres north of Maseru at the beginning of the northern ascent into the Maluti Mountains, and from here the Tsehlanyane National Park is best accessed.

Butha Buthe too has benefited immensely as a result of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, with a suburb (Likileng) being established to house the large workforce working on the project.

Mapoteng

Mapoteng was established and quickly gained in importance in the late 19th century. At that time, it was one of the first areas to be settled by the Basotho, and a major centre from which imported goods were transferred into the interior of the country. Today, Mapoteng is known for its hospital, the Maluti Adventist Hospital, with its nursing school. The hospital is also known not only for its specialising in eye diseases, but of late for its new HIV/AIDS unit.

Leribe

Leribe is found to the north again of the district of Berea and its capital is the city of Hlotse. It is located on the banks of the river after which it was named, and is found near the South African Free State town of Ficksburg. The main route to Katse Dam in the highlands passes through Hlotse. It has grown due to the high traffic of construction material being transported up to Katse during the construction of the dam in the late 1980s and early 1990s, through the border at Maputsoe, the district’s other main town.

Berea

Mazenod

This small town on the outskirts of Maseru is one of the country's Catholic Centres, being named after Eugene de Mazenod, the founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Today, not only is it the site of Lesotho's international airport, Moshoeshoe I international airport, but Mazenod has also grown through its printing works, academic institutions and conference centre.

Maseru

As can be determined by its name, Maseru is not only the capital City of Lesotho but also the centre of the district by the same name. Located in the lowlands to the west of the country, it is to be found on the banks of the Caledon (“Mohokare” in Sesotho) river. It was established as a small trading post in 1869, and is close to the Maseru Bridge border post with South Africa. Being the capital city, it serves as the customs and immigration gateway to South Africa, although most of the same services are now to be found at the many other border crossings.

Maseru is the first port of call for most visitors to Lesotho, from which they will then travel inland to explore the Mountain Kingdom. The first landmarks one encounters upon arrival in Maseru are the Basotho Hat and Basotho Shield buildings, the first being a Craft shop selling traditional Basotho arts and crafts and the second being the Tourism Information office of the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation. At the Basotho Shield, visitors will find maps, guide books and other sources of information for their visit inland.