The sun is beginning to sink behind the mountains and two young women are still gathered at the stream, scrubbing clothes against the rocks. One of them has laid her four-year-old son, wrapped in a thin blanket, on the hard stone beside her as she works. Although the stream runs through Ha Masalla, the women themselves are from Freistata, a neighbouring village. Freistata still has no water, which forces women to walk an hour down a steep, treacherous hill to Ha Masalla just to wash laundry and fetch water.
Figure 2. Nthabiseng Ntsatsi, from Freistata spends the day at Ha Masalla’s stream washing clothes while her young son rests beside her, a stark reminder of the daily struggles women face to access water.
They have been at the stream from 7 a.m. to escape the midday heat. Yet, even after more than ten hours, they are still at the stream. When asked when they expect to reach home, one woman replies, “After six. Going back up the hill takes longer.”
Even in Ha Masalla, water is no longer as accessible as it once was. Years ago, Ms. Mamorena Mohlomi had saved her earnings to install a tap in her yard, which she generously shared with her entire village. A relief for women who no longer had to walk long distances for water.
Then the Polihali Ha Seshote Road construction began. Blasting and digging loosened large rocks that rolled down and destroyed the pipes feeding. Some pipes were blocked and others crushed. The village tap ran dry.
Figure 3. The village tap that once provided clean water to Ha Masalla now lies dry after road construction damaged the pipes.
The loss not only affected Ha Masalla but also deepened the struggles of nearby villages like Freistata, which had long relied on Ha Masalla’s water supply for survival.
Shouldering the Hardest Burden
For women like Mamorena, the water loss was tied to livelihoods like brewing Sesotho beer“As village women, we brew Sesotho beer during celebrations. But without water, we can no longer do that,” she explains.
Figure 4. Ms. Mamorena Mohlomi of Ha Masalla, who once built a tap that served the entire village before road construction destroyed its water.
With the tap gone, women turned to an unprotected borehole where both people and animals drank. This forced not just Ha Masalla but also Freistata’s women to spend entire days at unsafe sources, washing clothes in the stream or walking long distances with children on their backs and heavy containers on their heads.
The Community’s Hope that comes with a burden
Ms. Nthabiseng Letuka, another villager, built a tap at her home and opened it to everyone. But the solution came with a new burden. The tap lies far away, down a steep slope. Collecting water means a 30-minute walk each way, with heavy containers and risking slipping on muddy paths when it rains.
Unheard and overlooked
When the community reported their struggles to the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA), a cement shield was built around the borehole. But the structure poorly designed, failed to protect the water from dirt and contamination. For women already exhausted by long journeys and heavy labor, it was yet another reminder of how their needs are disregarded.
Figure 5. The community relies on an unprotected borehole shared by both people and livestock, leaving them vulnerable to contamination and neglect.
Invisible Weight Women carry
From Freistata’s women who leave at dawn to wash in Ha Masalla’s stream and the women from Ha Masalla who lost the tap provided by their neighbour Mamorena, the stories echo the same truth: women and girls carry the hidden costs of development.
Figure 6. Women from Freistata wash clothes in Ha Masalla’s stream, a routine marked by exhaustion, resilience and the heavy burden of water scarcity.
Their days are stretched by endless journeys for water. Their bodies are strained by heavy loads. Their livelihoods disappear when water sources dry up.
It is important that care infrastructure particularly the provision of protected and reliable water supplies must be integral to planning and implementation of all development projects.
Infrastructure development projects, while essential for national progress, often unfold in regions where vulnerable communities live and sustain their livelihoods. These projects can lead to significant disruptions, including forced relocations and environmental degradation, disproportionately affecting those in remote and marginalized areas. In such contexts, grassroots Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) play a pivotal role in safeguarding the rights of their communities. As recognised in the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (commonly known as the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, 1998), HRDs have the right to promote and strive for the protection and realisation of human rights at the national and international levels.
Seinoli Legal Centre (SLC) has embraced this principle by empowering HRDs in Lesotho’s Mokhotlong district, particularly those affected by the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) Phase II. Through targeted legal education and capacity-building initiatives, SLC has equipped local defenders with the tools to engage constructively with project implementers, advocate for community rights, and foster accountability. This story highlights the transformative impact of these trainings, showcasing how individuals like Mr. Kopo Mpiti, of Lilimala Mokhotlong, and Mrs. ‘Mathapelo Motabola, of Litšotsong Mokhotlong, have become catalysts for change, embodying the spirit of collective action and resilience in the face of systemic challenges.
Success Stories
Mr. Kopo Mpiti and Mrs. ‘Mathapelo Motabola are HRDs who champion the rights of communities through the collective action of demanding and defending their rights. They pursue the promotion of political and civil rights, including the realisation of social, cultural and economic rights. Consequently, these two community members have been the bridge between project implementers and the community. They also serve as mediators between Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and their fellow neighbours as they are on the ground and physically engage with everyone in the community on a daily basis.
As SLC recognises the power of partnering with HRDs, and in communities where none exist, supporting the mobilisation of such people, it has been building HRDs’ capacity to enable them to effectively guard the rights of the vulnerable and marginalised. So far HRDs in 17 communities affected by the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) Phase II have been trained. Their training involved legal education on various issues pertaining to their rights as property owners including, education on new legal amendments to the Administration of Estates and the Inheritance Act, gender-based violence (GBV) and gender-equality laws. They have also been equipped with tools on how to engage with project documents and policies.
Mr. Kopo Mpiti, member of Human Rights Defenders in Mokhotlong. Photo by: Moretlo ‘Moleli
Through these trainings, Mr. Mpiti has gained the confidence to defend his rights and the rights of everyone in his community. Mr. Mpiti notes that ever since receiving trainings from Seinoli, he boldly asks project implementers questions for clarification.
“This has caused them to be sober minded when they call us for community gatherings because they know that I will challenge them on any requirement they try to enforce on us outside the parameters of the policies.” Mr. Mpiti states.
Mr. Mpiti notes that the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA), the project implementer of LHWP Phase II, had informed him that dam pipes will pass through his farmland, and instructed him to stop tilling the land. However, he notes that the site is outside the designated dam project markings. Due to the capacity he has received from Seinoli, Mr. Mpiti was able to defend himself and refuse when the LHDA wanted to meet with him privately about the matter. Instead, he proposed that they come to his village and address the issue with his fellow HRDs present.
Additionally, HRDs support community members on an individual basis. They are able to review important project related documents with their neighbours and guide them on the best cause of action when engaging with project implementers. For instance, Mr. Mpiti notes that he always advises fellow community members to involve him as a witness in any communication they engage in with LHDA. As the famous Basotho adage states “Letšoele le beta pooho” which loosely means that in community, one can overcome something that would be difficult to overcome alone.
Mr. Mpiti notes that he has proposed a new strategy in his village to document all communication made by individual families to LHDA. This strategy will also involve buying a book and laminate paper for minute taking during their community gatherings with LHDA. In this book they would record the proceedings, promises and agreements made, and have everyone present sign. LHDA officials would then receive their copy while the community also stays behind with theirs. According to Mr. Mpiti this would help to keep the LHWP project-implementer accountable.
Mrs. ‘Mathapelo Motabola, a Human Rights Defender in Mokhotlong. Photo by: Moretlo ‘Moleli
Another HRD, Mrs. ‘Mathapelo Motabola, who has benefited from SLC’s support reflects on her arduous relocation journey. She shares with delight how she is the recipient of a newly built six-roomed house in Litšotsong after her house in Makalong was destroyed by blastings that happened during one of the phases of the construction of the Polihali dam. While all her belongings are yet to be relocated to her new place of residence, she is grateful to have a place where her children and grandchildren can call home. “When they come to visit, I just point them to different rooms and tell them where to sleep.” Mrs. ‘Mathapelo Motabola, enthused.
SLC’s trainings of HRDs have proven to be successful as communities are now better positioned to advocate for themselves independently of our organisation. This has been the aim in SLC’s programming – capacity building – to avoid over dependence of beneficiaries on the Centre, but to empower them to have autonomy.
Conclusion
The empowerment of grassroots HRDs through targeted training and legal education has proven to be a powerful strategy in advancing community rights and accountability in development contexts. The experiences of Mr. Kopo Mpiti and Mrs. ‘Mathapelo Motabola illustrate how informed and confident HRDs can effectively challenge injustices, engage constructively with project implementers, and support their communities in navigating complex legal and social landscapes. The SLC’s approach aligns with the principles enshrined in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, affirming the right of individuals and groups to promote and protect human rights. As communities become more autonomous and proactive in defending their rights, the long-term impact of such capacity-building efforts becomes evident — fostering resilience, dignity, and justice at the grassroots level.
Seinoli in collaboration with the African Platform for Social Protection held a lobbying session to advocate for the ratification of AU protocol by the government . The meeting targeted relevant Ministries such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Social Development and the Parliament through the Social Cluster, CSOs dealing with Human Rights and social protection and justice and media organisations which work on issues of Social Protection.
Figure 1 United Nations Resident Coordinator, Amanda Khozi Mkwashi and her delegation included The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative Deepak Bhaskaran, Human rights officer from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Lineo Tsikoane in Masakong, Mokhotlong.
Mamphasa Monethi (Seinoli Legal Centre
POLIHALI, Lesotho – United Nations Resident Coordinator, Amanda Khozi Mkwashi, on Thursday led a delegation that visited communities who have been negatively affected by the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP II).
Her delegation, which included The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative Deepak Bhaskaran, Human rights officer from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Lineo Tsikoane, and UN Communications Officer, Reitumetse Russell, sought to hear the grievances of communities that are being displaced by the Polihali dam project.
The delegation visited villagers in Tsekong and Masakong and heard that communities had been adversely affected by activities like blasting in the dam reservoir area.
Issues raised
Some of the villagers complained that their safety, livelihoods and health were now at risk because of blasting activities.
In the meeting, community representative Thabo Motabola from Tsekong said blasting activities were undertaken indiscriminately both during the day and at night. Whenever the blasting was done at night, it gave animal rustlers an opportunity to steal livestock undetected.
Figure 2 Communities raising their issues regarding the Polihali dam project.
He said that fumes from the blasts are also toxic and are resulting in villagers suffering different kinds of respiratory problems. Others, including children, are now experiencing hearing and sight problems. All this because the nearby communities were not being given protective gear such as masks. Neither were they provided with shelter for safety during blasting activities.
Another villager, Makanono Leleka, added that debris from a blast came dangerously close to humans and property when it landed in her yard last Thursday posing serious risk of injury and damage.
Figure 3 Community member from Tsekong Ms. Makanono Leleka.
Due to the blasting, the community well, their only water source, was now contaminated by unknown chemicals. The well was also within the dam area and was now inaccessible to the villagers as it had been fenced in and there was no other means to get water as they did not have taps or other water resources.
The water situation is worsening by the day as streams in the area have also been contaminated. So bad was the situation that animals were dying after drinking from the nearby streams.
The villagers said some of their houses were cracking because of tremors from the blasts. They accused the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) of not conducting pre and post assessment studies for community property and assets. The villagers alleged that the LHDA was turning down their claims on property damaged by the blasts.
Communities demand compensation for lost grazing pastures
A quarry site established in the Tsekong village first in 2018 and extended in 2023, has now taken away huge swaths of land which were previously the community’s grazing land. The villagers said they had received neither compensation, alternative pastures nor fodder for their animals. This had resulted in a serious threat to the community’s food security considering the prevailing drought conditions in Southern Africa.
Villagers cry for transparency on compensation
The villagers said they were never consulted regarding the formula for individual household compensation for displacement and loss of property. They said the compensation was extraordinarily little, and they were unaware of the basis on which the compensation was arrived at. The LHDA pays M20.24 per square meter for affected fields. However, when they sought clarity, they were never answered, they alleged. They also said they were unaware when they should expect compensation.
Masakong community grievances
Villagers in Masakong registered similar concerns. Community representative, Lebohang Lengoasa, said it was now difficult to raise children in the area as they were grappling with incessant noise and air pollution. These posed serious health risks for minors. He said they had requested to be relocated before the beginning of the implementation process, but the call fell on deaf ears.
Broken promises
The community said it was promised that villagers would be prioritized when it came to jobs in the project. However, the LHDA has allegedly reneged on the offer with over 50 men currently unemployed in the area while women seldom got jobs. The LHDA also promised to seek services like transport and catering from the community, but these contracts were never given to the villagers.
“With our compensation money, we bought taxis, but the LHDA is now saying that it requires buses when it had promised that it would hire our taxis,” one villager who has been paid compensation said. He alleged that there were also a lot of underhand dealings in the hiring process.
Impacts on the community’s livelihoods
The communities have always depended on their livestock, agriculture and on important resources such as firewood, traditional herbs, and medicinal plants which are no longer accessible due to the project’s fencing.
Intimidation
The villagers also complained that whenever they attempted to voice their concern, they were threatened with violence by the police. Apart from writing letters to the LHDA, the communities said they had no other way to seek recourse and whenever they wrote letters, the LHDA often ignored them. To jolt the LHDA and its contractors’ action, the community in some instances staged peaceful protests. “The LHDA does not even have a complaints mechanism in place for us to lodge complaints we have with different contractors.”
“Even when we try to engage with the LHDA by inviting them to the village to discuss our issues, they do not attend. The LHDA does not even have a complaints mechanism in place for us to lodge complaints we have with different contractors,” another villager said.
Some hope for recourse.
After listening to their grievances, the UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Amanda Khozi promised the communities that the UN would conduct further investigations, and a report would be released later. The report will be shared with the UN headquaters in Geneva and with Prime Minister Sam Matekane.
The UN delegation then engaged the LHDA and presented the community’s concerns. The LHDA requested a meeting specifically to address the issues. In response, Ms. Mkwashi said in the proposed meeting, one of the issues LHDA should be prepared to address was coming up with a social development plan to ensure that the villagers were part of the planning and implementation of that plan. The plan was also supposed to be in accordance with international standards and should have feedback and accountability mechanisms.
Figure 4 Community Grievences were presented before the LHDA.
While addressing the community, Bhaskaran stated that the delegation was extremely glad to have heard from communities directly about their concerns.
“The key role of the delegation is to ensure that your rights are not being violated. We have picked that there are environmental issues and impacts on your livelihoods and generally your means of livelihood. We hear that there are promises made and you are still waiting for those promises to be fulfilled. We will ensure that a report will be produced and shared. Continue to inform us about the challenges you face and tell your communities until these issues are addressed,” Bhaskaran told the Masankong villagers.
Figure 5 The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative Deepak Bhaskaran in Masakong which is being displaced by the Polihali dam project to hear the grievances of communities.)
The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) has been sued for withholding vital socioeconomic data pertaining to communities impacted by the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) Phase I and II.
Seinoli Trust, an NGO and public interest law center recently lodged the application, representing communities affected by both phases of the bi-national project.
The Trust alleges that LHDA’s denial of this crucial information violates its own policy and legal obligations regarding access to information.
Reitumetse Nkoti Mabula, the Executive Director of Seinoli Legal Centre, explained in an affidavit that Seinoli’s request for socioeconomic data was met with refusal by LHDA.
Mabula said that the denial not only contravenes LHDA’s policy but also its legal commitments regarding access to information.
Papers filed in court reveal that Seinoli wrote to the LHDA in March and April this year requesting for the same information.
“Seinoli is deeply concerned about the dire situation derived from implementing Phase IA, of villages in the Katse catchment area. We have received many complaints relating to the implementation of the compensation policy as well as severe impact on the standards of livelihood of communities, read the letter Seinoli wrote to LHDA.
It added: “Seinoli has received witness statements from affected people describing how their livelihoods have been affected and how those changes impact human rights. To make a comprehensive assessment and conduct an in-depth analysis of the implementation of Phase IA, we request a completed census and socio-economic survey data set of all project-affected persons.
Among others, Seinoli demanded land and asset inventory, disclosure forms with valuation amounts, compensation values per asset, compensation offers, and signed agreement documents or grievance documents as well as an overview of cash compensation in kind that was paid out to affected persons.
The letter continued: To make a comprehensive assessment of the subject matter, we request the information above as we are alarmed by the available evidence, which suggests that LHDA is not acting in compliance with domestic and international law.
We are deeply concerned about potential human rights violations protected under the law of Lesotho and international agreements that Lesotho has signed and ratified.
On June 22, 2023, LHDA responded, stating that they conduct periodic studies on the socio-economic status of affected communities.
It explained that the latest study was ongoing and that the resulting information becomes LHDA’s intellectual property, making it unavailable for third-party sharing.
Based on the above, LHDA is unable to share data and information relating to the socio-economic status of the communities that have been affected by the LHWP to Seinoli Legal Centre and or any other third party, read the LHDA letter.
Seinoli Trust has now approached the High Court of Lesotho, seeking a declaration that LHDA’s refusal to provide information is unlawful. They further request a review of LHDA’s decision and its correction.
In doing so (refusing with the information), the LHDA denied the applicant (Seinoli) access to the requested critical information, thereby disabling the applicant to interrogate the critical questions on the basis of the scientific information and data in the possession of the LHDA, Mabula stated in her founding affidavit.
She argued that in terms of Clause 4.5 of the LHDA 2016 Environmental Policy, the LHDA made commitments with respect to stakeholders engagement that “LHDA will respond promptly to concerns and requests for information and will fully investigate substantive complaints.
“Section 14 of the constitution of Lesotho 1993 protects the applicants’ right to freedom of expression which includes the applicant’s right to receive information and ideas without interference.
I aver that there is no law in Lesotho that justifies the LHDA to limit applicants’ aforesaid entrenched right to access information for the purposes specified under section 14 (2) of the constitution of Lesotho 1993.
The refusal by LHDA therefore constitutes illegal interference with applicants’ constitutionally entrenched rights, she said.
She indicated that they depend on the technical, scientific or other information or data relevant to the objects of the applicant aforesaid. Consequently, the applicant is the bearer of the rights such as the right of access to information.
The state, parastatals or local authorities have the correlative duty and obligations to provide the information required by the applicant for the purpose of enabling the applicant to not only enjoy the vested rights but also to use this information as the vehicle towards achieving its objectives.
Communities affected by LHWP fall within beneficiaries of Seinoli Trust because they are vulnerable to rights violation and as such qualify for provision of free legal assistance and representation offered by the applicant, she said.
LHDA has always held that communal rights including communal resources and assets, will be identified and inventoried and will be paid communal compensation to the affected communities, she said.
SRT grantee the Seinoli Legal Centre has produced a film which details the potential impact of a large-scale water-transfer project on local communities in Lesotho.
The Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer Scheme is being conducted within an agreement between the governments of Lesotho, Botswana, and South Africa. A dam will be constructed along the Makhaleng river in the southern lowlands of Lesotho. The project will supply Botswana with water through a conveyance water pipeline going through South Africa. It will further provide the three countries with electricity to complement the system power needs of the local towns in the countries.
The Seinoli Legal Centre has consulted the 21 communities along the river, to determine their awareness of the project and the potential impact. They have produced a film from their conversations with these locals, which gives a stark look at their rural way of life, and what is at stake for them.
The Seinoli Legal Centre reported two key findings. Firstly, that no official communication has been made to the communities regarding the project which indicates that the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent has not been applied. And secondly, the standards of living and livelihoods of communities living along the river will be greatly affected, as they will be forced to resettle to make way for the dam, losing their land and the surrounding natural resources. They voiced concerns on many aspects, from what would happen to their animals, to what would happen to their graves. However, the main concern for most of the residents interviewed is that being so heavily reliant on agriculture, animal rearing and a rural way of life, many were not formally educated and didn’t feel equipped to live elsewhere.
Mamatlakala Lefume, a 68 year-old who lives in Ha Joele village, said; “We have fields that are our main source of livelihood. There are no schools nearby for our children to attend, we heavily rely on agricultural land… We plead with implementing authorities that compensation for our lost fields should be made payable for a lifetime.”
Another interviewee from the same village added that he felt “anxious about relocating to a new place, where our ways of living may be seen as odd”.
After making this film, the Seinoli Legal Centre has called on the project authorities to ensure that members of communities to be affected are put at the center of this project and that their rights and interests are respected.
The Seinoli Legal Centre is a public interest legal organisation that protects the rights of communities affected by the construction of dams and large infrastructure in Lesotho.
As the M562 million construction of key roads linked to the Lesotho Water Highlands Project’s phase second phase powers ahead, a widow’s house near the construction works has been left damaged and possibly unsafe to live in. Contractors have taken some responsibility, done a quick patch of the house, but refused to do more or admit that their blasting has caused lasting damage.
The home of Mantloheleng Keqe, a villager from Ha Ramolakalali was damaged on two occasions. Blasting activities by Rumdel AC Joint Venture, which comprises South Africa-based Rumdel Construction and Lesotho-based A&C Holdings and which is responsible for building a 32.86km road between Semenanyane River and the Polihali Dam site, allegedly damaged the house. A company construction vehicle then crashed into the home. During MNN’s first visit to the home in August, Keqe explained that a construction vehicle had crashed through the wall at the back of her two-roomed house, damaging the roofing, doors and other interior parts of the house, which included furniture, leaving groceries scattered all over.
Since this accident, the sharp downhill curve behind Keqe’s house, the absence of guardrails, and the recent tarring of the road caused two additional incidents where private cars hit Keqe’s house. The change from a gravel road to a tarred surface has contributed to an increase in vehicle speed posing danger to nearby residents.
This situation is made more damaging and dangerous by the blasting a few hundred metres from Kege’s home. She is nervous that her house is not safe, she is unable to sleep because of a nagging feeling that disaster could strike at any moment. As a result, Keqe told MNN that she has moved out of the house into the grass-thatched hut nearby as a temporary solution. She can’t bear the thought of something terrible happening while they were all sound asleep, completely vulnerable and unaware.
Construction near Kege’s home is part of the M562 million Polihali West Access Road and the Rehabilitation of Northern Access Road project. Rumdel is supervised by AECOM SA (Pty) Ltd, who work with AECOM Lesotho as consulting engineers that designed these roads.
While AECOM has recommended that Rundel continue to do monthly assessments of the home, Keqe is not happy with the condition of her home and fears that the construction companies are trying to shirk their responsibilities.
Environmental manager at AECOM, Felleng Ramajake, inspected the repairs on Keqe’s home and made the recommendation for monthly inspections to monitor its condition. However, she is unwilling to discuss the matter publicly and instead, says only their employer, the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) can comment.
In an interview with MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism, Johan Human, Rumdel AC construction manager, admitted that a company car hit part of Keqe’s house causing parts of it to collapse. However, he refused to admit that his company’s blasting activities have anything to do with the cracks that continue to appear on her house.
“We blasted more than 400 to 500 metres away from that house…There was no blasting anywhere near that house and the recorded blasting limits were just close to half of amplitude limit [150mm/s] that could cause potential damage.”
“We are not saying Rumdel is not responsible, but we are completely ruling out blasting vibrations as the cause. The cracks must then be [caused by] something else. Blasting is completely irrelevant and immaterial,” Human insisted.
According to a complaint closure form filled out by Keqe on April 22, 2021 and submitted to the LHDA, Rumdel is accused of the “dilapidation of the house [Keqe’s] due to vibrations caused by construction activities, mainly blast”.
The same form shows that Rumdel’s Community Liaison Officer, Ntsoaki Nenesi, made a submission on May 6, 2021, stating that “the house was repaired, and the owner was satisfied with remedial works”.
But Keqe says she has never been satisfied with the repairs. While she admits that the collapsed part of the wall was rebuilt, she says the interior part was left unplastered with cracks shabbily patched. She denies claims that she was ever satisfied.
Keqe says she was given M300 to purchase plaster and plastering equipment so she could finish the wall herself. Rumdel, Kege says, argued that the wall they had patched was still wet and they couldn’t come back once it dried because they had other pressing matters to attend to.
“It’s possible, and I am not denying it,” Human told MNN.
When asked why they did not consider the actual cost of plastering the walls and only gave Keqe M300, Humane said, “We gave her materials: sand, cement and everything. The M300 was just for her to hire someone for labour.” Keqe denies this saying the company did not leave any materials when they left her home. Keqe’s position is supported by the complaints closure form which Rumdel also signed. “It was agreed that the owner of the house will continue with plastering because the contractor couldn’t plaster the wall because it was still wet. The property owner will be given M300 for plastering the house,” says the form.
MNN also had the opportunity to speak to the Rumdel employee, identified as Thabiso, who led the repairs on Keqe’s house. Thabiso said: “I did the repairs and even went further than what was damaged by the car. The car came through the back wall and we demolished that back wall and rebuilt it all around. However, MNN can confirm that not the whole section of the wall was rebuilt, but only the collapsed part was, and its interior was mud plastered by Keqe (see below pictures).
MNN asked Thabiso whether he plastered the interior wall after rebuilding, and he said, “yes we did put a bit of plaster”.
Human argued: “But on completion of the work, the lady signed a happy letter, which is a contractual obligation we have with the LHDA,” He kept emphasising that Keqe should not have signed the “happy letter” if she was unhappy.
“Nobody forced her to sign [it],” Human said.
MNN has seen this “happy letter” that Keqe’s daughter, Rehauhetsoe Keqe, had written. It was signed by her mother on June 14, 2021. This letter confirms that Keqe’s house was repaired and that she was satisfied. However, Rehauhetsoe told MNN that Nenesi forced her into writing this letter which she says did not reflect her views. Rehauhetsoe told MNN how Nenesi had assured her that writing this happy letter would facilitate quick repairs by Rumdel. Aside from the happy letter, Nenesi, asked her to write a separate letter to go with it, she says. In this letter she asked for the cracked walls to be repaired. There is no such letter in Keqe’s file at Rumdel that MNN has seen. Keqe suspects that Nenesi did not submit that letter before she left Rumdel. One July 18, 2023 Keqe wrote another letter to the LHDA about her damaged house and asking to be relocated. She is still waiting for a response.
On June 16, 2021 AECOM’s environmental manager, Felleng Ramajake also confirmed in the complaint closure form that: “I inspected the affected structure and I confirm that the house was repaired”. However, she did recommended “monthly monitoring to assess the structural condition of the house”.
A few months later on October 17 2023, Seinoli visited AECOM offices in Mokhotlong as they tried to find out why the company has not followed up with Rumdel to ensure compliance with their recommendation. One of the key questions was based on the fact that AECOM and Rumdel share a site office and if this could be affecting the two companies’ professional relationship, especially AECOM’s ability to oversee Rumdel.
Ramajake did not want to talk about the issue. “I am not at liberty to speak with people from outside; that is the duty of the LHDA,” she said.
When MNN asked Human if Rumdel complied with AECOM’s recommendation, Human said: “If there is no blasting in the area and no report from complainants, we don’t visit the house at all. We only do post-construction visits and repairs where there is a need.”
Seinoli is closely working with the LHDA to ensure that Keqe’s issue is dealt with in fairness.
This story was produced by the MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism in collaboration with the Seinoli Legal Centre.
The water shortage in Botswana is getting worse. A new dam project in Lesotho is intended to help. But it could come at the expense of the country’s own population, warn civil society organizations. There have already been problems with resettlement and compensation in Lesotho in the past. After a change of political power, however, there is now hope for the affected citizens.
Droughts and floods, extreme weather and rising temperatures: the consequences of the climate crisis are clearly felt on the African continent. Many countries are battling with extended dry periods , and the lack of water is not only exacerbating the food crisis , but is also hindering economic development. This will also be discussed by the delegates of the UN conference COP27 , which begins on Sunday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
In the south of the continent, the small kingdom of Lesotho is considered the water tower of the region, with numerous rivers originating in the mountains. For more than two decades, Lesotho has been exporting water to its neighbouring country South Africa, supplying the economic centre around Johannesburg, among other places. Several dams already exist, and new ones are under construction.
But the projects are sometimes at the expense of the local population and the ecological balance: citizens in Lesotho complain about a lack of drinking water, communities are waiting for compensation after being relocated, and researchers are concerned about the state of the wetlands. We reported on this in detail a year ago .
Another major project is planned: the Lesotho-Botswana Transfer Scheme . Water is to be pumped from a new dam in Lesotho through a pipeline 700 kilometers long to arid Botswana, because supplies there could become scarce as early as 2025. Hydropower is also to be used to generate electricity. All three countries – Lesotho, South Africa and Botswana – would benefit from this, according to the cross-border commission, the Orange-Senqu River Commission ( ORASECOM ). International organizations such as the World Bank support the project as a model of regional cooperation.
But is the project really exemplary, has anyone learned from past mistakes? We asked Lepeli Moeketsi, a lawyer at the Seinoli Legal Centre in Lesotho. The non-governmental organisation represents the interests of the villagers who have to be relocated because of the project.
Mr Moeketsi, what do you know about the current status of the project?
Much has already been done: There is a declaration of intent and a memorandum of understanding signed by Lesotho, Botswana and South Africa. Studies have also been carried out since 2018. But very little information is reaching the public – and that is a major concern for us.
We have so far visited 21 villages affected by the project – but hardly anyone there knew about it, only a few had heard anything on the radio. There are reports that initial feasibility, environmental and social impact assessments have been carried out there, but the local people know nothing about it.
This of course raises questions: How is it possible that the social impacts of the project are being assessed without the knowledge of the affected population? I hope to find out more from the responsible water commissioner, whom I asked for a meeting some time ago.
Attorney Lepeli Moeketsi
You mentioned 21 villages that you visited. How many people would have to be relocated for the new dam on the Makhaleng River?
We don’t have any official figures yet. It was important to us to at least prepare the people there for the possibility of relocation. Because we already know this from previous projects: problems with relocation, with compensation payments and negative ecological impacts. So we wanted to raise awareness in the communities about what they could expect. We also wanted to know whether they had seen ORASECOM employees surveying their fields, for example. But the answer was: no.
In a short film made by their organization, some villagers speak out about their fear for their traditional lifestyle, which is closely linked to nature, for their livelihood as small farmers and pastoralists, and for the graves of their ancestors. Very similar to the people I met during my research in the Lesotho highlands last year. Has the government changed anything in its behavior towards the rural population since the completion of the Katse Dam in the mid-1990s?
This is also a legal gap: there is no explicit law that we can use to force the government and investors to do this. However, Chapter Twenty of our Constitution enshrines the right to public participation. And then there is the principle of free, prior and informed consent, FPIC , in the UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples. These are possible grounds for a lawsuit.
The authority that implements the projects, the LHDA ( Lesotho Highlands Development Authority ), makes its own laws. For example, regarding the basis for calculating compensation for fields or houses. For example, it simply states that it will pay 20 cents per square meter, but we do not know how it arrived at this amount. It also does not involve the owners of the land in these considerations. So we are still struggling with the same problems.
The dams in Lesotho’s highlands help the tiny country generate income from water exports and hydropower generation. But there are increasing problems from droughts and villagers who’ve lost their fields and grazing lands don’t feel their situation has improved.
In Lesotho, a tiny landlocked country in Southern Africa, water is a crucial issue. Though it is one of the poorest countries in the world, Lesotho plays a vital role for its richer and bigger neighbor, South Africa. It’s located in the mountains, and several important rivers rise from here – a lifeline for the entire region. In recent decades, huge dams have been built that are pumping water to South Africa.
Without the imported water, South Africa’s economic center around Johannesburg would be left high and dry. So it sounds like a win-win: South Africa pays millions in water fees to its neighbor every year and Lesotho generates electricity from hydropower.
But for locals, the project is controversial, and ecologists are raising the alarm as well.
