▁one ▁of ▁four ▁provinces . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁still ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁day ▁Republic ▁of ▁South ▁Africa , ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Free ▁State . ▁ ▁In ▁contrast , ▁Bas oth ol and , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁two ▁other ▁British ▁Prote ctor ates ▁in ▁the ▁sub - S ah aran ▁region ▁( Be ch u anal and ▁and ▁Sw az il and ), ▁was ▁pre cluded ▁from ▁incorpor ation ▁into ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁South ▁Africa . ▁ ▁These ▁prote ctor ates ▁were ▁individually ▁brought ▁to ▁independence ▁by ▁Britain ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁ ▁By ▁becoming ▁a ▁prote ctor ate , ▁Bas oth ol and ▁and ▁its ▁inhabitants ▁were ▁not ▁subject ed ▁to ▁Af rik an er ▁rule , ▁which ▁saved ▁them ▁from ▁experien cing ▁A part heid , ▁and ▁so ▁generally ▁prosper ed ▁under ▁more ▁bene vol ent ▁British ▁rule . ▁ ▁Bas oth o ▁residents ▁of ▁Bas oth ol and ▁had ▁access ▁to ▁better ▁health ▁services ▁and ▁to ▁education , ▁and ▁came ▁to ▁experience ▁greater ▁political ▁em an cip ation ▁through ▁independence . ▁ ▁These ▁lands ▁protected ▁by ▁the ▁British , ▁however , ▁had ▁a ▁much ▁smaller ▁capacity ▁to ▁generate ▁income ▁and ▁wealth ▁than ▁had ▁the ▁" lost ▁territory ", ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁granted ▁to ▁the ▁Bo ers . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁request ▁by ▁the ▁Bas ut ol and ▁Council ▁to ▁legisl ate ▁its ▁internal ▁affairs , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁a ▁new ▁constitution ▁gave ▁Bas ut ol and