Mafeteng residents give govt ultimatum over water crisis

Mafeteng residents have given the government 14 days to inform them of what action it is taking to address the water crisis in the district, failure of which they will resort to legal action.

In a letter addressed to health minister Selibe Mochoboroane and copied to Prime Minister Sam Matekane, through their lawyer, Advocate Fusi N. Sehapi, the agitated residents accuse the government of interferring with natural water sources and wetlands in the area, leading to further desertification.

This desertification and possible risk of fire deprives the area of its natural water life, plants beauty and well-being, they say.

The residents further accuse the government through the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASCO) of negligently draining and drying up the Luma and Raleting dams and piping water from the Ts’alitlama dam without consulting them.

They instead, want the government to rehabiliate Skanska dam and draw water from there for public drinking and general use.

They also argue that it is illegal for WASCO to arbitrarily access public and natural water sources without informing and consulting them as required by the Environment Act.

“You are in the strange business of selling water to the public. It defies logic and common sense why you could make the people of Mafeteng pay for water which you draw from their own communal properties without consulting them as mandatorily required by the Environment Act, 2008.

“You must expend your time and resources (money) to your own commercial water source i.e. Skanska dam so that your billing of water may be justified,” Adv Sehapi’s 30 December 2024 letter says.

It adds: “Water is a basic component of life. By depriving people, animals and plants of water, you violate and/or pose a threat to their inherent rights to life protected in sections 5 and 17 (4) (a) (v) of the Lesotho Constitution.”

Meanwhile, local advocacy group, SECTION 2, says it stands in solidarity with the residents of Mafeteng district during this water crisis.

The organisation in a statement this week urged the Minister of Natural Resources, Mohlomi Moleko, to promptly declare a water emergency in the area and to ensure full transparency regarding water abstraction activities.