ie ▁III , ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁when ▁the ▁Les oth o ▁Congress ▁for ▁Dem ocracy ▁( L CD ) ▁came ▁to ▁power ▁in ▁elections ▁which ▁were ▁de emed ▁fair ▁by ▁international ▁obser vers . ▁Despite ▁protest s ▁from ▁opposition ▁parties , ▁the ▁country ▁has ▁remained ▁relatively ▁stable ▁since . ▁ ▁An cient ▁history ▁At ▁some ▁stage ▁during ▁their ▁migration ▁south ▁from ▁a ▁t ert i ary ▁dispers al ▁area ▁B ant u ▁speaking ▁pe op les ▁came ▁to ▁sett le ▁the ▁lands ▁that ▁now ▁make ▁up ▁Les oth o ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁more ▁extensive ▁territory ▁of ▁fert ile ▁lands ▁that ▁surr ound ▁modern ▁day ▁Les oth o . ▁ ▁These ▁people ▁spoke ▁a ▁unique ▁" S outh ▁S oth o " ▁dialect ▁se S oth o ▁and ▁called ▁themselves ▁the ▁Bas oth o . ▁There ▁were ▁several ▁severe ▁dis ru ptions ▁to ▁the ▁Bas oth o ▁pe op les ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁One ▁view ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁these ▁were ▁mar aud ing ▁Z ulu ▁cl ans , ▁disp la ced ▁from ▁Z ul ul and ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁L ifa q ane ▁( or ▁M f ec ane ), ▁wr ought ▁hav oc ▁on ▁the ▁Bas oth o ▁pe op les ▁they ▁encountered ▁as ▁they ▁moved ▁first ▁west ▁and ▁then ▁north . ▁ ▁The ▁second ▁that ▁no ▁sooner ▁than ▁the ▁Z ulu ▁has ▁passed ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁than ▁the ▁first ▁Vo ort re kk ers ▁arrived , ▁some ▁of