LHDA Sets the Record Straight on TRC Accusations

The Public Eye article that appeared in the Vol. 10 N0.39 of September 29 – October 05, 2006 under the heading “TRC blasts water project” bears reference.

The article raises five highly sensitive, but factually flawed issues. LHDA as the Lesotho Highlands Water Project’s implementing agency, deems the inaccuracies thereof potentially damaging to the project’s good image, and therefore wishes to put the record straight  as follows:

1) The article purports that the project, according to the Transformation Resource Centre (TRC), “…has no mandate because its treaty was signed by a military council, which was not elected by the people”.

Without dwelling much on the nitty-gritty of what constitutes a legitimate government, suffice it to say the above view is misleading. It evokes a misconception that business carried out under the military rule was not official. To the contrary the military council, over and above signing for the project, introduced the new national flag, for example. It took a parliamentary motion to remove that flag, much as it was brought in by the military government.

2) The article further alleges that the project, according to TRC, “…has forced out communities from their homes,…caused social, cultural and economic impoverishment of the affected communities”.

Of essence is that LHDA did not forcibly remove communities from their homes, but rather engaged communities, individuals, chiefs, and community representatives using a comprehensive community participation. LHDA further involved of local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as TRC, Principal Chiefs and Government Departments, to encourage people to accept to relocate or resettle, giving way to the construction and subsequent inundation of the dams.

With regard to the latter issue of impoverishment of the affected households, LHDA challenges TRC to prove the allegations. The project has provided the affected households and their hosts with income-generating development initiatives such as agricultural projects with high value cash crops that include paprika, giant garlic, seed potato, etc, highland maize seed, improved rams and bulls to service and improve farmers livestock, range management practices to improve the rangeland and reseeding of the degraded rangelands. The project has further provided communities with communal compensation to replace their lost natural resources, provided for communal development, as well as investment opportunities for income generation purposes.

3) The article quotes TRC as claiming that “…communities affected by the project were not compensated”.

Noteworthy is that compensation for the affected communities is mandatory, according to the treaty. LHDA compensation policy of 1997 that draws from the Treaty, provides guidance on how resettlement and compensation of the people affected by implementation of the LHWP have to be undertaken.  LHDA has updated data on who has received what compensation.

4) Mrs ‘Mamokhachane Lebakeng of Ha Mohale is quoted in the article as claiming that “…her life was better before than after resettlement”.

For emphasis sake, Artice 6 (11) of the Treaty compels LHDA to “ensure that members of local communities in the Kingdom of Lesotho who are directly or indirectly affected by flooding, construction works, or other project related causes, shall be enabled to maintain a standard of living not inferior to that obtaining at the time of first disturbance”. To LHDA’s best recollection, the above requirement has been met with regard to Mrs Lebakeng’s compensation package.

Notwithstanding, should Mrs Lebakeng still feel aggrieved even after this explanation, she is at liberty to formally raise the matter with project authorities, or seek external intervention from structures such as the office of the Ombudsman.

5) Finally, the article quotes the LHDA’s Senior Public Relations Officer, Mr. Motlatsi Nkhasi as saying “…the book will not only help his company but will also be useful to other upcoming projects”.

LHDA feels that the officer has been quoted out of context in that Mr. Nkhasi was speaking during the book’s launching ceremony on August 4, 2006, critical information that is omitted in the article. The reporter Mrs ‘Maseipone Mokhethi, says she is only writing about the book almost two months after the launching ceremony because she needed to read it first. The best Mrs Mokhethi could have done (now that she had read the book) was to seek LHDA’s views on the book’s allegations that form the crux of her story, not to quote Mr. Nkhasi under false pretence that LHDA was approached for comment. To this end, LHDA urges the editor to use all tools at his disposal to prevent recurrence of this deficient reportage.

In conclusion LHDA assures the media fraternity and other interested parties of its  availability and willingness to address public concerns as and when so required. The LHDA public relations unit is the gateway for such concerns. Contact details are as follows: 3^rd Floor, Lesotho Bank Tower, P.O Box 7332 , Maseru 100. Tel. +266 22311280. Fax. +266 22210665. Email: lhwp@lhda.org.ls .

Yours sincerely,

Masilo Phakoe (Mr.)

Acting Chief Executive

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