Lesotho Highlands Water Project faces fresh opposition as communities demand accountability

Key topics:

• Communities demand halt to Lesotho Highlands Water Project expansion.

• Complaint cites displacement, damaged homes, and environmental destruction.

• AfDB reviewing case as Johannesburg faces worsening water shortages.

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By Kerry Lanaghan

A $3.1 billion project meant to ease Johannesburg’s growing water crisis has hit a new obstacle. Affected communities in Lesotho have filed a formal complaint demanding construction be halted until their grievances are addressed.

Bloomberg reported that about 1,600 residents displaced or harmed by the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase II have approached the African Development Bank (AfDB), one of the project's funders, to request a suspension. The complaint, supported by the San Francisco-based nonprofit Accountability Counsel and Lesotho’s Seinoli Legal Centre, highlights the destruction of homes, damaged land, and health risks caused by ongoing construction.

The project, overseen by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) and financed by the AfDB, the New Development Bank, and the South African government, is designed to channel water from Lesotho's highlands to South Africa's commercial hub. Managed locally by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority, it includes the construction of the Polihali Dam, reservoir, tunnel, and related infrastructure. Originally scheduled for completion in 2019, the project has been delayed until at least 2030, pushing costs higher and worsening water shortages in Gauteng, the region that contributes 60% of South Africa's economic output.

"The physical destruction of homes, land, and health cannot be undone," the communities said in their 32-page filing. Among their concerns are inadequate compensation, tunnel blasting that damaged houses and water pipes, and the displacement of villagers with little information about resettlement plans. They also report environmental harms, such as the loss of rare bird species, pollution of local water sources, and damage to plants and forests of cultural and economic importance.

In a press release from Accountability Counsel, communities warned that the project is creating a "sacrifice zone," where their livelihoods, land, and cultural heritage are being traded for South Africa's water security and electricity generation. The release detailed additional harms: quarry blasting, spreading dust across villages, pollution of local streams, forcing families to walk long distances for clean water, and resettlement onto land unsuitable for traditional herding practices. Women and vulnerable groups, it said, have borne the greatest burden, often excluded from compensation processes and left more vulnerable to exploitation.

Despite repeated attempts to raise concerns with project implementers, villagers say they have been ignored, and in some cases even intimidated by local authorities for speaking out. "We are not opposed to the project objectives," the complaint stresses, "What we are opposed to is having to suffer harm in the process."

The AfDB confirmed it is reviewing the submission through its Independent Recourse Mechanism, which has the authority to recommend suspension of the project. The LHDA has so far declined to comment, while the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority stated it was unaware of the complaint and does not see a legal pathway to halt construction.

For Johannesburg and surrounding cities, where taps already run dry in some neighbourhoods, the delays add urgency to completing the project. But for communities in Mokhotlong District, Lesotho, the stakes are about survival, dignity, and fairness. As Accountability Counsel put it, "These harms were easily preventable. Future harms can still be avoided if project authorities commit to accountability and respect for local rights."