Lesotho’s rocky earth this week coughed up a generous present for the country’s 40th independence celebrations: a 603 carat white diamond. The stone, which was found at the Letseng Diamond Mine, is the 15th largest ever found and has been named the Lesotho Promise. It has been given the top rating for colour and is expected to fetch a handsome price on the diamond market in Antwerp.
Meanwhile, to celebrate its four decades of independence, Lesotho has replaced the flag that it adopted shortly after a military coup in 1986 with the country’s original post-independence flag. The old flag, which featured a shield, knobÂÂkerrie and spear, has been replaced by the original one on which the traditional, cone-shaped Sotho hat has pride of place. Lesotho has said that the flag, which remains blue, green and white, shows that it is ”at peace with itself and its neighbours”.