Lesotho Villagers Report of Damage from Water Project Supported by African Development Bank

Eighteen rural communities in the Mountain Kingdom have filed a grievance with the AfDB over its financial backing of a multi-billion rand water project whose development phase they claim has ruined farmland, polluted water sources and damaged homes.

Demands for Transparency and Compensation

About 1,600 people living in the communities in the Mokhotlong region in north-east Lesotho are demanding clarity over planned evictions and compensation they state they have not been informed about.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is scheduled for completion by 2029, a decade later than initially planned. It will deliver water from landlocked Lesotho to a region containing the Republic of South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, at an estimated cost of R54 billion (2.28 billion pounds).

Official Grievance Submitted

Last week, the local residents, represented by the local Seinoli advocacy group and the US NGO Accountability Counsel, filed a formal appeal with the AfDB’s IRM. They asked the IRM to recommend that the AfDB board halt the project until their grievances are resolved.

The complaint stated that explosive excavation had caused fissures in house walls, while landslides and flooding had obstructed access to some fields. It alleged that particulate matter and debris had polluted local streams.

“They take our fields [and] they haven’t compensated in a fair way,” said a local spokesperson, seeking privacy due to fears of reprisals from officials.

Official Responses

Representatives for AfDB, which loaned 1.3bn rand to the project in 2021, said they would reply to emailed questions, but had not responded by the time of publication.

The Lesotho Highland Development Authority, which runs the project, stated: “Not a single family has been, or will be, displaced without advance and thorough dialogue … Our commitment is to transparency, availability, and prompt feedback across all stages of interaction.”

The authority continued: “As of now, no dwellings have been reported as unsafe due to blasting. However, where residences have experienced damage such as fractures or other structural issues, construction firms are required to carry out repairs to the satisfaction of the affected family, or reimbursement is provided in accordance to regulation.”

It said that landslide problems had been resolved, allegations of farm entry being impeded had not been confirmed and “overall water quality stays within permissible standards for its designated purposes”.

Claims of Police Misconduct

The residents also alleged they had experienced arbitrary arrests, detention and torture by security services and law enforcement for demonstrating calmly.

Mpiti Mopeli, a official voice for the LMPS, said: “Officers operated within the legal framework … Demonstrations are controlled, therefore unlawful assembly cannot be non-violent. We are directed by tenets of civil liberties as enshrined in the national charter of 1993.”

A representative for the country’s defense force did not respond to a comment request.

Additional Backers

The initiative’s funders also include the Brics bloc’s New Development Bank and the DBSA, neither of which replied to requests for input.