…accuses chief of extortion
Mathatisi Sebusi
A Berea-based crusher miner, Kang Shaoping, has accused the Ha Lephallo community in Bela-Bela — along with their area chief — of making unreasonable demands that he says have fuelled ongoing friction between the villagers and his company, Moruo Mining and Construction.
Mr Shaoping, a naturalised Mosotho of Chinese descent, alleges that Chief Seshophe Hlajoane of Ha Lephallo has been extorting money from him each time the mine requires services from the chief’s office.
Mr Shaoping spoke in response to complaints from the chief and villagers, who accuse the mine of reneging on its initial promises to develop the area. They further claim the mine is depleting the village’s only water source, leaving households without water for days, in addition to damaging homes when it carries out its blasting activities.
However, Mr Shaoping has dismissed the accusations as unfounded, insisting that he has consistently fulfilled his commitments but that the community “is never satisfied”.
“Those allegations are false. They are lying,” he said.
“I constructed the gravel road in 2022 as promised, brought electricity to the village at a cost of M113 000, and have repaired their water pipe numerous times.”
He added: “They now want me to install electricity for every household, which is unreasonable. Ha Lephallo village is on a sloppy area, so at one point they complained that the water that flows down into their yards during heavy rains was because of the mine and therefore it was my duty to stop such.”
According to Mr Shaoping, Chief Seshophe charges him M10 000 each time the mine needs a document stamped and withholds authorisation for blasting permits if he does not pay.
This, he said, continues even as the mine is currently constructing an office at the chief’s home to facilitate his administrative duties.
He said police officers were called weekly to witness pre- and post-blasting inspections to ensure transparency regarding any impact blasts may have on the community. Mine staff also inspect houses before and after blasting to assess possible damage.
“Whenever blasting affects a house, we engage the owners and repair the damage. We have also relocated and built two-roomed houses for two families whose single-room homes were affected by the mine.
“But often community members are unreasonable. One resident, who had an incomplete structure already cracking for years, claimed the mine caused the damage.
“When we offered to repair the cracks, he refused and demanded that the entire structure be demolished and rebuilt with a roof. When I declined, he threatened to escalate the matter to this newspaper.”
Mr Shaoping further claimed that some community members repeatedly damage the water pipe in retaliation against the mine. He said he has repaired it four times this year alone.
“They say they break the pipe because they know that I will be the one to repair it. I don’t even use much of their water. We use river water at the mine for dust control but drink bottled water. Only a few staff members use the community source,” he said.
Despite the tensions, he maintained that the mine remains a significant contributor to the villagers’ wellbeing.
“Every week when we blast, we hire 15 temporary workers from nearby villages. We give communities crusher stones and dust free of charge whenever they need them and assist in various family emergencies.
“I love helping Basotho, and the community knows I always lend a helping hand when they are in distress. For instance, if one gets seriously ill, we incur costs to take that person to the hospital in Mapoteng.
“Moruo Mining is part of the community, and we want to live harmoniously. I have not reported anyone to the police because I have been trying to avoid problems.”
He added that the company currently employs 38 permanent workers, in addition to the weekly temporary recruits.
Responding to the allegations, Chief Seshophe denied ever soliciting bribes, saying he only accepts money when it is voluntarily offered.
“I like money and will never refuse it when it is offered. What I don’t do is sell out the community or blackmail anyone to give it to me,” he said.
Chief Seshophe maintained that the community’s concerns were legitimate, insisting the mine has failed to deliver on the promised developments.
He said he has since reported the matter to the district administrator.
In a report entitled “Mining blasts shatter homes”, in our last week’s edition, we incorrectly referred to Mr Shaoping as a “Chinese businessman”. Although he is of Chinese descent, Mr Shaoping is a naturalised Mosotho. We apologise for the error
