This is a refreshing approach to the history of colonial Lesotho, which shows the small actions and activities — and, indeed, more often than not, the resourcefulness and passive resistance — of women in Basutoland influenced and even determined the politics of their country.
The book provides a detailed account of women’s activities from legal battles to ‘voting with their feet”, illegal brewing of beer and prostitution to church and lay organisations, chieftainesses and political campaigning. Their sometimes outright subversive behaviour threatened the status of Basutoland as a major labour reserve for the South African mines. It is a lesson in how to influence the course of history ‘from below”.
Starting with a short sketch of the history and characteristics of traditional Basotho society, Epprecht traces the manoeuvres of the area’s major stakeholders: the churches, colonial rulers, Basotho men, chiefs and the emerging middle class. He exposes their common interest: to cling to power and increase their wealth. This meant controlling the major income generators and the backbone of the society — Basotho women.
Random dismissal and sudden enforcement of tradition, the opportunities and pitfalls of the dual legal system and its practice, police actions and bribery — these are just a few examples of the means with which the ruling classes tried to do this. Epprecht is not afraid of critically discussing taboos such as ‘culture” and traditions, class and gender, greed and corruption.
His book is an alternative to male-centred, Eurocentric histories, and provides a wealth of facts and insights for anybody interested in colonial history, women’s rights or grassroots politics. It is readable and should be a source of inspiration for historians, sociologists, politicians and academics.