Basotho 'sacrifice for' SA water

Lesotho villagers allege unsafe conditions and no accountability in the scheme to supply Gauteng

- Sheree Bega

Eighteen rural communities in Lesotho’s Mokhotlong district have lodged a formal complaint with the African Development Bank (AfDB) about Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

The AfDB is a key financier of the cross-border scheme which will supply more water to Gauteng, while providing Lesotho with hydropower.

But about 1600 villagers from pastoralist and farming communities filed a complaint with the AfDB's Independent Redress Mechanism, alleging the project is causing social, environmental and cultural harm that will escalate unless action is taken.

“The impacts caused by the project include social and economic displacement, environmental damage, gender-based harms, loss of biodiversity and labour-related issues,” the communities said in their complaint.

“Many households are vulnerable, including women, elderly people and youth, who have been disproportionately affected.”

The second phase includes the Polihali Dam, reservoir, saddle dam, hydropower substation, power lines, bridges, roads, housing and other infrastructure. It requires 5600ha of land, much of it taken from villagers, while threatening endangered wildlife, said the Seinoli Legal Centre and the Accountability Counsel, who are supporting the villagers.

They said the expansion “creates a sacrifice zone” where communities are forced to give up land and livelihoods so that more water can be transferred and hydropower generated.

They argue that although investors claim the project will bring renewable energy and growth, “the human costs have been borne by local villagers who have been displaced without adequate compensation while seeing their livelihoods evaporate and their natural environment transformed”.