Pope John Paul II's historic visit to Lesotho, dogged all along by the worst or ill-fortune, ended with more disappointment when just 10 000 people – one hundredth or the million expected – turned out to hear the pontiff. The tour was hoped to be a showcase for Lesotho. Instead, it underlined the country's dependence on South Africa.
Lesotho's astonishing run of bad luck began when poor weather prevented the Pope's plane from landing at Maseru and forced him to travel by road from Johannesburg – under a South African Police escort. Next, a bus-load of pilgrims was held hostage. The disasters peaked when a bloody gun battle claimed the lives of a schoolgirl and three hijackers, just 20 minutes after the Pope passed nearby. To Lesotho's humiliation, it required the direct intervention of South Africa to free the pilgrims. Finally, less than 10 000 pilgrims turned out to witness the Pope's beatification of Lesotho's first Catholic priest, Father Joseph Gerard – one hundredth of the million pilgrims expected to attend.
South African businessmen hoping to capitalise on what had been billed as Africa's largest mass gathering, face huge losses after the dismal turnout. But, more seriously for Lesotho's military raters, South Africa's intervention in the hijack saga and the SAP's insistence on continuing to escort the Pope after he crossed the Maseru border gave a classic demonstration or Lesotho's dependence on South Africa. Pretoria's police headquarters had no qualms about claiming responsibility for ending the hostage siege – only hours after Lesotho had angrily denied the presence of South African security personnel, passionately declaring its independence and ability to handle the situation itself.
And Lesotho suffered much in dignity when six Ford Sierras – sporting Transvaal number plates and packed with policemen in civilian dress – flanked the papal BMW as it drew op on the Lesotho side of the border to be formally welcomed by members of the ruling Military Council and top government officials. With blue lights flashing the SAP escorted the Pope to the town of Roma, passing just two streets from where SAP commandos were to end the hijack only 20 minutes later. Pretoria's statement on Wednesday night was the first account of the shootout in which the school-girl and three hijackers were killed, a fourth hijacker was captured and 11 hostages were injured, four seriously.
But yesterday morning Radio Lesotho insisted the Royal Lesotho Defence Force, assisted by Lesotho police, had ended the hostage drama. "No South Africans were involved," said Mpine Tente, the Military Council's press officer. "It was a joint operation of the Royal Lesotho Defence Force and the Royal Lesotho Mounted Police. There were no South Africans on the Scene." The hijack appears to have been the work of a faction of the banned Lesotho Liberation Army – a guerrilla group which, ironically, was once widely reputed to enjoy South African support.
A stunned petrol attendant in Mohale's Hoek, 50 miles south of Maseru, was the first person to inform Lesotho police of the hijackers. He said a bus under the control of four armed men – carrying 71 pilgrims including eight nuns and 36 children – had filled up at his pump and had driven off without paying. The vehicle later crashed through two police roadblocks in Mafeteng and Morija. The bus, which had apparently been hijacked from the Christ the King Mission in Qacha's Nek southeast of the country, was forced to stop outside the yard of the British High Commissioner in Maseru after the commissioner refused to open the locked gates. At dawn on Wednesday one of the hostages "miraculously escaped" despite being shot at.
Shortly afterwards hijackers released one of the hostages with a list of demands — which were banded over to a Catholic priest- in which they demanded meetings with the Pope, Lesotho's King Moshoeshoe II, the British High Commissioner, the Christian Council of Lesotho as well as two executive members of the Basotho Congress Party, GM Kolisang and M Molapo. Then on Wednesday evening, shortly after the Papal party passed within two blocks of the site, the hijacked bus suddenly crashed through the gate into the High Commissioner's yard – and the shootout began. A total of 20 hostages were admitted to Maseru's Queen Elizabeth II Hospital after the shootout, according to a nurse. She said a 29-year-old man had had both legs amputated. The bus driver had sustained head injuries and had been transferred to a hospital in Bloemfontein.
Interviewed at the hospital yesterday one of the wounded hostages, Matseto Makhasane, said: “The hijackers allowed us to sing songs." He added: "We were frightened when the shooting started. I got under one of the seats to hide myself. Then I saw someone climbing through the window. I followed them.” Another wounded hostage added: “They (the hijackers) told us to die with them so the people of Lesotho could be free. But when they noticed we were frightened they tried to treat us kindly." In a statement Military Council secretary Tom Thabane said the hijackers were armed with a AK47, a 9mm pistol and grenades. – Mzimkulu Malunga
Last hijacker dies
The full story behind the Maseru bus hijacking may never be revealed – the fourth gunman took his secrets to the grave late yesterday. He died In Maseru’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, bringing the number of victims of the drama to six, including two hostages, one of whom also died in hospital. The political affiliation of the gunman is still a mystery. It is speculated that members of the Lesotho Liberation Army were responsible, but it is not known if the wounded hijacker was interrogated before his death. The names of the dead hostages have been released.
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
