Mathatisi Sebusi
THE Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) is at odds with the community it relocated to Ha Tsolo in Maseru to pave way for its first water project.
The community was relocated from Ha Katse in Thaba Tseka between 1997 and 1998 to pave way for the construction of Katse Dam under Phase I of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
Resettled community members have now raised concerns about the safety of the land they were relocated to, claiming they live in constant fear of their homes collapsing due to water logging at the resettlement site.
However, the LHDA maintains that the land is safe and they purchased it from Lesotho Housing and Land Development Corporation, which had rehabilitated and repurposed the land for residential use.
The LHDA further argues that the community’s grievances had escalated over the years. This was the latest in a series of complaints.
These opposing viewpoints were presented before the Natural Resources Cluster Committee this week after the resettled community petitioned it to intervene and help resolve the issue.
The LHDA, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and members of the affected community were invited to provide their perspectives.
Representatives of the relocated community shared their concerns with the committee, stating that they are currently experiencing land sliding and several homes were either cracked or on the verge of collapse due to uncontrolled water at the residential site. They explained that the land, which was originally a donga, had been rehabilitated by LHDA for their relocation but it was still not safe.
Malerato Pelehe, one of the relocated community members, told the committee that the water issue dated back to 1998, when they first moved to the area. Despite numerous complaints to the LHDA over the years, the situation had not been addressed, she claimed. She said unlike other relocated communities, they were not given a choice of where to settle and were instead forced to move to Ha Tsolo.
“We have been requesting the LHDA to do something about this problem, but nothing has been done to address the water issue. One house is on the verge of collapsing while others are cracked and always damp due to water which we believe comes from a wetland we have been placed over,” said Ms Pelehe.
She also expressed frustration that the LHDA had engaged a consultant to investigate the issue, but has since withheld the report from the community.
“The last time we talked about this issue with the LHDA, we were told that a consultant has been engaged to investigate the cause of the water and determine whether the place is safe for us to reside in, but LHDA is now denying us the report.”
In response, the LHDA Chief Executive, Tente Tente, said the community’s grievances had continued to escalate over time, and the complaint about the land’s safety was the latest issue. Mr Tente explained that, while he was not in office at the time of the relocation, the LHDA records indicated that the community was consulted before being moved to Ha Tsolo.
“It is not true that they were forced into moving to Ha Tsolo. The reports indicate that they were engaged throughout the whole process and the decision to move them was made together,” Mr Tente asserted.
He said the houses the community were complaining about were more than 25 years old, and it was a given that such homes would require renovations over time.
“Houses that old could be in bad shape if nothing has been done towards renovating them.”
As for the water logging issue, Mr Tente said the LHDA had engaged an independent consultant to investigate the cause and whether it could be controlled. The consultant had only submitted a draft report. The LHDA was waiting for a final version before sharing it with the community, he said.
“We do not believe that the land can be a danger to people because we bought it from Lesotho Housing, which rehabilitated it and set it aside for residential purposes. When we received complaints from the community about the water issue, we engaged an independent consultant to determine the cause of the water and whether it can be controlled. We are currently waiting for the second draft of the report.”
Minister of Natural Resources, Mohlomi Moleko, informed the committee that he was aware of the community’s grievances and had met with both the LHDA and the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission. The minister made a commitment to address the community’s concerns.
Chairperson of the Natural Resources Cluster Committee, Moeketsi Motšoane, urged the LHDA to resolve the water issue and the structural problems of the houses. He said it was unacceptable for the LHDA to use the age of the homes as an excuse not to address the problems.
“It is not right that LHDA hides behind the age of the houses to avoid coming up with a sustainable solution to the problem….,” he said, urging the LHDA to share the draft report with the concerned community so that “together you can come up with a sustainable solution to the problem.”
