Maseru Totally Explained

Everything about Maseru totally explained

Maseru is the capital of Lesotho. Located on the Mohokare River, bordering South Africa, it's Lesotho's only sizable city, with a population of approximately 227,880 (2006). It is the capital or camptown of the Maseru District. Maseru was established as a police camp and assigned as the capital after the country became a British protectorate in 1869. When the country achieved independence in 1966, Maseru retained its status as capital. The city is located at . The name of the city is a Sesotho word meaning "place of the red sandstone".

History

Maseru was founded by the British as a small police camp in 1869, following the conclusion of the Free State-Basotho Wars when Basutoland became a British protectorate. Maseru is located at the edge of the "conquered territories" relinquished to the Orange Free State (now the Free State province of South Africa) as part of the peace terms. It was located west of Basotho King Moshoeshoe I's stronghold of Thaba Bosiu, the previous de facto capital. A bustling market town soon grew around the area.
Maseru initially functioned as the state's administrative capital between 1869 and 1871, before administration of Basutoland was transferred to the Cape Colony. During their rule between 1871 and 1884, Basutoland was treated similarly to territories that had been forcefully annexed, much to the chagrin of the Basotho. This led to the Gun War in 1881 and the burning of many buildings in Maseru. The cost of repairing the damage done to the city was estimated at around two billion rand (350 million $US), and after nearly a decade, the effects of the riots could still be seen within the city.

Geography and climate

Maseru is located in northwest Lesotho by the South African border, denoted by the Mohokare River. The two countries are connected by a border post at the Maseru Bridge, which crosses the river. On the South African side, Ladybrand is the town closest to Maseru. The city lies in a shallow valley at the foot of the Hlabeng-Sa-Likhama, foothills of the Maloti Mountains. The city has an area of around . The hottest month is January, with temperatures between and . During the coldest month, July, the temperatures range between and . This includes 103,520 males and 124,360 females, or around 100 women for every 83 men. The long train track is the only one in the country.
Kingsway, the road joining the former Leabua Jonathan Airport, now Mejametalana Airport and the Royal Palace in Maseru, was the first paved road in Lesotho. Having previously been just a dirt path, it was renovated in 1947 for the visit of members of the British Royal Family. It remained the only paved road in the country until Lesotho's independence in 1966. The city's manufactures once included candles and carpets but these have been overshadowed by South African industry.

Culture

Architecture

Most of the traditional thatched-roof mud-brick houses, called rondavels, have been replaced with modern housing. There are some colonial era buildings around the center of the city, most notably the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Victories, and the Anglican St. John's Church.

Tourism

Maseru has a total of six hotels, two of which, the Lesotho Sun and the Maseru Sun, have casinos. The Basotho Hat shop at the city's entrance is a popular source for souvenirs.
12 out of 16 of the teams currently playing in the Lesotho Premier League reside in Maseru. As of 2008, 32 out of the 38 championships contested in the league have gone to Maseru-based teams. Most successful of these have been Matlama FC and the football team of the Royal Lesotho Defense Force, with eight championships each.

Sister cities

List of sister cities of Maseru, designated by Sister Cities International.

Austin, Texas, USA

Further Information

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