Lesotho Residents Complain of Damage from Water Project Backed by AfDB
Eighteen rural settlements in Lesotho have filed a complaint with the African Development Bank over its funding of a multibillion-pound hydraulic scheme whose construction process they allege has ruined farmland, contaminated drinking supplies and damaged houses.
Requests for Openness and Compensation
About 1,600 people living in the villages in Mokhotlong district in northeastern Lesotho are calling for transparency over proposed evictions and compensation they say they have not been consulted on.
The LHWP is scheduled for finalization by 2029, a decade later than originally scheduled. It will deliver water from landlocked Lesotho to a area containing the Republic of South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, at an projected expense of 54bn rand (2.28 billion pounds).
Formal Complaint Submitted
Last week, the Lesotho communities, represented by the local Seinoli Legal Centre and the US NGO Accountability Counsel, submitted a complaint with the AfDB’s IRM. They requested the IRM to recommend that the AfDB board suspend the project until their grievances are resolved.
The complaint said that rock blasting had caused fissures in residential structures, while landslides and flooding had obstructed access to some agricultural plots. It alleged that dust and debris had tainted water sources.
“Our land is being taken [and] they haven’t compensated in a good way,” commented a community representative, requesting privacy due to fears of reprisals from officials.
Institutional Reactions
Spokespeople for AfDB, which loaned R1.3 billion to the project in 2021, said they would reply to emailed questions, but had not done so by the deadline.
The Lesotho Highland Development Authority, which manages the project, said: “No household has been, or will be, relocated without prior and thorough dialogue … Our commitment is to transparency, availability, and timely communication across all stages of engagement.”
It added: “As of now, no dwellings have been reported as unsafe due to blasting. However, where households have suffered damage such as cracks or other structural issues, contractors are required to perform fixes to the approval of the impacted family, or reimbursement is provided in line with policy.”
The LHDA further noted that rockfall issues had been resolved, allegations of farm entry being blocked had not been verified and “overall water quality remains within acceptable standards for its intended uses”.
Claims of Security Misconduct
The residents also alleged they had suffered unjustified detentions, confinement and torture by state forces and police for demonstrating calmly.
Mpiti Mopeli, a official voice for the LMPS, commented: “Police acted within the rule of law … Protests are regulated, therefore illegal protest cannot be peaceful. We are directed by principles of civil liberties as embedded in the national charter of 1993.”
A spokesperson for the country’s national security services did not reply to a request for statement.
Other Backers
The initiative’s financial supporters also comprise the BRICS alliance’s NDB and the Development Bank of South Africa, both of whom responded to inquiries for input.
