Water For Justice

THE INTERNATIONAL WATER DAY CELEBRATIONS

Communities affected by the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) can be counted in their thousands. They have been affected in a number of different ways; some have lost land to the project, others residential homes, medicinal plants, communal assets, and their loved ones while they were resettled.

The downstream communities lost a great deal too. Because of reduces water flows, they have lost sand, fish, caves, art work, wood, medicines and other resources. The downstream communities are those from Mokhotlong, Polihali dam; those who are on the downstream of the Mohale dam and the Katse dam. All these communities have rights and entitlements which they must be assisted to obtain.

Through the Water For Justice and Environment project, TRC has been fighting for the economic rights and compensations for these individuals and communities affected by LHWP. Therefore, together with the community, national and international civil societies and their allies, TRC will mark The Water Day Celebration in Hloahloeng on the 13 th March.

Through out the years, the theme of the day has always been celebrating our rivers, water and life.Even though the theme of 2009 is still the same, slight changes have been made: celebrating rivers, advocating for rights to water and sanitation; fair and adequate compensation and participation in sustainable development.

Issues to be discussed with the attendants of the celebration will include the campaign on anti-privatization of water by Civil Society; management and protection of Wetlands; environment issues and pollution; climate change and general water politics and the position of Lesotho in the power politics of water. The renegotiation of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Treaty will also be canvassed among the people. The issue here is for dams to provide water to Basotho people. As it stands Basotho do not have a right to the waters in the LHWP dams.

The Water Day Celebration will be held at the confluence of Senqu and Sengunyane at Hloahloeng. The objective is to bring down the communities of Mokhotlong who are going to be affected by the Polihali dam as well as the communities of Metolong who are already being impacted.

The significance of Hloahloeng is that communities there are double impacted by the LHWP activities. There are those which are affected like the downstream communities of the Mohale Dam and because of a dam soon to be built in Polihali on the Senqu/Orange River, Hloahloeng and Seforong will be affected like communities downstream of the Polihali dam.

All these communities will advise each other and share experiences on issues regarding compensations, development and resettlement Communities affected by LHWP Phase 1, will be there to advise and to share their experiences with communities of Mokhotlong in Polihali and those of Metolong at Thaba-Bosiu.

TRC believes that the experiences and wisdom that would have been gathered at Hloahloeng and Seforong would inform future planning of dams to include communities affected in the decision making process.

If a dam is built communities must have water in those dams as of right; if a dam generates electricity communities affected must have that electricity as a right; communities affected by large projects want a certain percentage of royalties from these dams and from mines; and must have a right to development in their areas.