The defeat of the British at Isandlwana (See The battle of Isandlwana) led to a general outcry in the Cape Colony for the disarming of Africans, and Prime Minister John Sprigg introduced legislation to this effect. The Sotho objected vehemently, seeing it as an indication of a lack of trust in them by the British. Moreover, guns had been hard earned at the Kimberley mines and on white farms, and no compensation was offered for them. Moshoeshoe’s successor, Letsie, accepted Sprigg’s decision, but his brother Masupha and Letsie’s son, Lerotholi, did not. A minor civil conflict broke out between those who handed in guns, and those who did not. In these general circumstances of chaos, Sprigg travelled personally to Basutoland and offered to revise his edict regarding guns. He failed totally and whites were placed under siege in Basutoland. In support, the Mpondomise in the northeastern Cape came out in revolt and a handful of whites was killed near Qumbu.
British troops were now sent to Basutoland to quell the revolt, and eventually a ceasefire was declared. Sprigg’s ministry fell as a consequence of his failure to disarm the Sotho, and the enormous expense that this so-called Gun War incurred. A peace treaty was signed, which stipulated that the Sotho should register their guns rather than hand them in. Though this represented a backtracking on the part of the Cape, Masupha still did not accept it. Again total confusion reigned between those considered loyal to the Cape government, and those who wanted no compromise. More out of despair than general policy, the Cape government requested the Crown to take over rule in Basutoland, which it did in 1884. Ultimately, British control ensured that Basutoland remained independent from the political developments in South Africa. Its future was therefore to be significantly different from that of most other African groups discussed in this section.
