Lesotho's Minister of the Navy

#JOKE

The white minority government of South Africa was subjected to political isolation due to its policy of apartheid. Few countries had formal diplomatic relations with South Africa. As a result, foreign visits by South African ministers or heads of state were the exception rather than the rule.

Due its being completely landlocked by South Africa, the tiny kingdom of Lesotho was hardly in a position to ignore its powerful neighbour, despite the political differences between the two countries.

During an official state visit to Lesotho, the South African foreign minister, Mr Pik Botha, was introduced to various cabinet Ministers of the host country, including the Minister of the Navy for Lesotho.

Given Lesotho's geography as a completely landlocked country, Mr Botha apparently found the cabinet position to be somewhat perplexing.

Although he was dying to enquire about why such a cabinet post was considered necessary, he realised that the simple act of posing such a question might be viewed as an insult. The last thing he wanted was to be considered as the cause of a diplomatic incident. He decided to shelve the question for the time being.

Prior to his return to South Africa, Mr Botha was invited to a lavish state dinner in his honour during which both he and Lesotho's Interior Minister found themselves getting along very well indeed.

Fortified by this new friendship, and by the alcohol he had consumed, Mr Botha decided that the moment had come to satisfy his curiosity about kingdom's curious ministerial post.

"Minister, I do not wish to be seen to be disrespectful or impolite, but I cannot help wondering why your country has a Minister of the Navy when it has no sea?"

To Mr Botha's relief, the question did not appear to have offended his host in the least. Instead his question produced a wide smile.

"Foreign Minister, I cannot tell you how happy it makes me that you have seen it fit to pose such a question to me. Because I too, have a question I have been dying to ask you, but have been too afraid that it might be considered indelicate."

"And what question might that be?" asked Pik Botha.

"For years I, and all of my cabinet colleagues as well, have been wondering why South Africa has a Minister of Justice?"