The Lesotho episode served as a reminder that South
Africa’s apartheid-era history of encroaching upon its neighbors continued to linger in the minds of African nations, despite its new democracy.
Mandela also saw his SADC leadership challenged on other issues—notably,
by Mugabe on SADC’s role in the war in the Democratic Republic of
Congo.14 Subsequently, SADC’s support of democracy in southern Africa
has been weak, notably in Zimbabwe and in Swaziland, one of the most
repressive SADC regimes.