Villagers lodge complaint with AfDB against Lesotho Highlands Water Project

Eighteen rural mountain communities in Lesotho have formally complained about Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP). The massive project, a joint scheme with South Africa, will supply water to Gauteng and generate electricity for Lesotho.

About 1,600 villagers, backed by human rights groups, Seinoli Legal Centre and Accountability Counsel, brought their detailed complaint to the African Development Bank (AfDB), a key financier of the project. They allege unsatisfactory relocations, damaged homes and loss of farmland among other harms. They accuse the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) of failing to consult properly, offering poor compensation, and ignoring their grievances.

Advocate Mosa Letsie, of the Seinoli Legal Centre, says the AfDB’s Independent Recourse Mechanism has acknowledged receipt of the complaint and is reviewing it. “This review process usually takes about 21 days,” Letsie said. “If the complaint meets the eligibility criteria, it will then be formally registered.”

Read the full article from Ground Up here.