Mantsonyane

Mantsonyane is a town in central Lesotho. It is located southeast of the capital Maseru, close to the western approach to the Mokhoabong Pass, on a high mountain plateau between the towns of Marakabei and Thaba-Tseka, in the Thaba-Tseka District.

Mantsonyane
Mantsonyane
Location in Lesotho
Coordinates: 29°34′S 28°16′E
Country Lesotho
District:Thaba-Tseka District
ConstituencyMantsonyane

Located on the central mountain plateau of Lesotho, Mantsonyane is difficult to reach by ground transport. In the official biography of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was the Bishop of Lesotho in the late 1970s, the difficulty of travel around the mountainous central region of Lesotho is illustrated by a detailed account of the Bishop's journey from his official residence in Maseru to St James's Hospital in Mantsonyane.[1]

St James' Hospital and regional health care

In 1963 the Anglican Church opened, through its USPG mission agency, a mission hospital in Mantsonyane. St James' Hospital has grown significantly and is now a major feature of the community. In addition to providing full hospital facilities (with 60 beds) to local residents, the hospital also operates a number of satellite health care facilities in the surrounding region, including six health centres, one health clinic, and two rural village health posts.[2]

For many years resident doctors and matrons were provided through the Anglican Diocese of Lesotho and through USPG. The hospital buildings were largely constructed and staffed through USPG fundraising. Today USPG remains a mission partner, although the mission agency contributes chiefly through its hospital based "USPG connect project" for mothers and babies.[3] Lesotho has a very high infant mortality rate[4]. The hospital was connected to electricity for the first time in 1986, and to the landline telephone network in 2000.[5]

Community facilities

The Anglican Diocese of Lesotho constructed and runs the parish church of St James and also St James' primary school. Both are located adjacent to St James' Mission Hospital. There is a local police station of the Lesotho Mounted Police Service. Mantsonyane Airport has a 2,300 foot paved runway.

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References
  • Fitzpatrick, M., Blond, B., Pitcher, G., Richmond, S., and Warren, M. (2004) South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Footscray, VIC: Lonely Planet.
  1. Allen, John (2006). Rabble-Rouser For Peace: The Authorised Biography of Desmond Tutu. Simon and Schuster. p. 161. ISBN 9780743298667.
  2. Full details of the hospital are available on-line here Archived 2009-06-20 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. Details of mother and baby project at USPG website.
  4. "Statistics". UNICEF. Retrieved 2018-11-01.
  5. Hospital historical timeline available here.
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