Basutoland: A Whinny for the Chief

Clad in gay robes and conical straw hats, hard-riding Basuto tribesmen last week poured into their hilltop capital of Maseru. The joyous occasion: the royal marriage in the Roman Catholic cathedral of Our Lady of Victories between a serene young student named Tabitha Masentle Mojela and Basutoland’s Paramount Chief, Oxford-educated Constantine Bereng Seeiso Moshoeshoe II, who ascended the throne of the British protectorate in 1960 after a tough fight with his stepmother, who had acted as regent for 20 years.

The jubilant tribesmen hailed the bride and groom with the traditional whinny—an affectionate salute that is supposed to imitate the neighing of a Basuto pony. They scrupulously obeyed the sign posted before the church: “No horses allowed in the cathedral.” Also on hand to pay their respects were foreign diplomats stationed in South Africa, the country that completely surrounds Basutoland. With the two-hour marriage ceremony completed, the diplomats headed home and all Basutoland (pop. 700,000) settled down to three days of parades, celebrations and feasts of barbecued oxen.