A flagship water project intended to bring relief to parched communities in Lesotho has instead become a source of despair, with villagers reporting severe structural damage to their homes and a shocking lack of access to the very water it was built to supply.
Funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the multi-million-pound Metolong Dam and Water Supply Programme was hailed as a transformative infrastructure endeavour. Yet, for residents in the very villages it was meant to serve, the reality is one of cracked walls, sinking foundations, and a puzzling absence of running water.
A Legacy of Damage and Broken Promises
Local villagers have come forward with alarming accounts of the project's negative impact. They report that relentless heavy truck movement and construction activity associated with the scheme have severely compromised their properties. Homes now exhibit major cracks and show signs of subsidence, leaving families living in fear and unsafe conditions.
Most tragically, the core promise of the project remains unfulfilled. Despite the vast infrastructure literally on their doorsteps, many households are still forced to collect water from untreated, traditional sources—a laborious and potentially hazardous daily task that the project was specifically designed to eliminate.
From Hope to Debt: The Burden of Connection
Adding insult to injury, those who wish to actually connect to the new water supply are facing unexpected financial hurdles. Residents report being charged significant connection fees, a cost that was not clearly communicated upfront. For communities with limited financial means, this has created a cruel paradox: they are indebted by a project that damaged their homes but still cannot afford to use its water.
This has sparked outrage and a feeling of betrayal. The project is perceived not as a benevolent development effort but as an imposition that has brought more harm than good.
Seeking Accountability and Resolution
Community representatives have lodged formal complaints with the African Development Bank, invoking its independent complaint mechanism. They are demanding urgent action: a comprehensive assessment of the damage, fair compensation for affected homeowners, and a viable solution to ensure affordable and universal access to clean water.
The situation in Lesotho stands as a stark cautionary tale for international development projects. It underscores the critical importance of meticulous community engagement, transparent planning, and robust oversight to ensure that grand schemes deliver on their promises to the people they are meant to help, rather than leaving them in a worse state than before.
