Lesotho's king is given a week to reverse coup

First Edition

PRETORIA - The President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, and his counterparts from Zimbabwe and Botswana gave the King of Lesotho a week's grace yesterday to find an honourable way to reinstate Ntsu Mokhehle, his Prime Minister, whom he overthrew in a coup last week, writes John Carlin.

King Letsie III and Mr Mokhehle, who was elected by a landslide majority last year, were summoned to Pretoria yesterday 'like schoolboys', in the words of a South African MP, for talks with Mr Mandela, Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, and Quett Masire, President of Botswana.

Mr Mugabe said there was no alternative to the reinstatement of Mr Mokhehle. He said that the leaders told the King they could not condone the coup.