If President Cyril Ramaphosa had any doubt that Basotho are aggrieved he should just listen to the growing rumblings over the territory that colonial South Africa is alleged to have stolen from Lesotho.
Dr Tsepo Lipholo, a political nonentity until four months ago, has inspired Basotho to rally behind his call to reclaim the land. Whether that is a real possibility or a pipedream is another matter.
What is certain is that Basotho believe in the cause.
But if Ramaphosa still believed those are naïve aspirations of a small nation with outrageous ambitions to expand its territory, then the hostile reception he got from Basotho this week should convince him otherwise.
Basotho greeted him with angry placards as he drove to the venue of the Binational Commission where he was to discuss issues of mutual national interest with Prime Minister Sam Matekane.
The message was clear: Basotho feel hard done by South Africa’s immigration policies towards them.
They don’t see South Africa as a friend but as a hostile neighbour arrogantly ignoring the geographical oddity that it completely surrounds Lesotho.
The African National Congress (ANC) seems unbothered by the reality that the borders it zealously enforces do not erase the strong bonds between Basotho on both sides.
The landmarks like rivers, mountains and sometimes a mere patch of grass that serve as official borders do not mean much to the blood relatives on both sides.
Many Basotho cross those ‘borders’ to visit their relatives in the morning and return to their homes in the evening.
In some places, they cross for salt and to share a calabash of beer with a friend or relative.
South Africa’s aggressive immigration policies have criminalised that natural desire to connect with relatives and friends. Those who use the official borders find themselves at the mercy of stringent immigration policies arguably worse than they endured during the apartheid regime.
To make matters worse, the same country deporting Basotho en-masse relies on Lesotho’s water from a deal that many believe is skewed in South Africa’s favour. Basotho are not demanding an arm and a leg from South Africa. All they want is for the neighbour to accept that they are in its belly.
They don’t want South Africa to treat them like enemies that should remain marooned within it.
Put simply, they want South Africa to ease its immigration policies towards them.
And that would not be a new thing because Basotho used to get six months permits to South Africa until it was cancelled in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup. Since then, South Africa has tightened its immigration rules against Basotho as if it’s dealing with enemies who want to invade it.
South Africa is not facing an immigration crisis from Basotho. The truth, therefore, is that South Africa can make concessions for Basotho without suffering much economic, social and political damage.
There are ways to open the borders and control the movement of people without resorting to draconian policies.
We note the discussions around introducing a 90-day visa for Basotho.
It is small progress but progress all the same. South Africa should consider extending that novel idea by permanently scrapping the need for visas.
Most Basotho are not seeking to stay in South Africa permanently. They are likely to eventually return home.
Lesotho, however, must also put its house in order.
Passports should be readily available so people don’t have to violate immigration rules.
South Africa can only make concessions if it is assured that Lesotho will help its people play by the new rules.
We hope the recommendations from the Binational Commission signal a new chapter in the relations between the two countries.
