King Moshoeshoe I is considered the father of Lesotho. He reigned from 1822 – 1870, founding Basutoland to unite the tribes in the area in order to defend themselves from attacks by the Zulus.
Never suffering a major military defeat, Moshoeshoe was able to resist colonialism efforts of the Boer trekkers from the Orange Free State and although Basutoland became a British colony, Moshoeshoe was able to keep his country separate from British South Africa and Apartheid South Africa.
Ongoing border disputes with the Boers were resolved at the Treaty of Aliwal in 1869, bringing stability to his Moshoeshoe’s Kingdom.
Moshoeshoe died on March 11th 1870.
Having a public holiday to mark the first ruler of a country isn’t uncommon, though it is usually celebrated on the ruler’s birth date. This would be tricky in regards to Moshoeshoe as while it is agreed he was born in 1786, the exact date of his birth isn’t known.