Lesotho may put two of its rivers up for sale

Press, 3 June 1982, Page 16

Lesotho may put two of its rivers up for sale

By

MARTIN BAILEY

in London

Landlocked Lesotho is hoping to sell two rivers to South ; Africa. The politically controversial plan would involve diverting the rivers — making . the water flow north, instead of south, and irrigating the heart- ;■ land of South Africa. This would bring Lesotho a source ? of much-needed income, but at the cost of making the tiny •••, mountain kingdom even more dependent on its giant neighbour, South Africa. The European Development .Fund is now. seeking an engin- ' eering consultant to'help conduct a $l2 million feasibility -study of the proposed Highland' ■; 'Water Scheme. The E.E.C. will- < . pay for'Lesotho’s half of the “ costs, with South Africa putting > up the remaining funds.. >A; ■ •‘•-If the feasibility study is positive, then the actual project is likely to cost over $lOOO fv ■ million. The/- scheme will requirefive; storage dams; three hydroelectric- -stations," ’ ’"a"

pumping system and 110 kilometres of diversion tunnel through /the mountains.. This would 5 pump out. 35. cubic metres' of.' Water a ' second. Income from this water might weir .exceed $lOO million a year, or more than the present government budget of Lesotho. The; water scheme is fraught with . political,, complications. Over the past few; - years, Lesotho has begun the difficult . task ; of 'reducing its overwhelming economic dependence on South Africa. Critics of the. water sale argue that the; project^will nullify these ef-’ . forts, tying the country; into the ~ South African economy until ' well into the twenty-first century,,. . J . ... . ... But the Lesotho Government has few alternatives. At present about half the male population work in South Africa’s gold and coal mines, and their ; remittances make, up more than 40per cent of Lesotho's

national income. Lesotho has virtually no industry, and the country has to import much of its food from South Africa. Prime Minister Jonathan of Lesotho has been in close touch ■■ with the South .African leader, Mr.P, W. Botha, over the water project, and the Pretoria Gov-’ , ernment is now keen for the ; scheme to go ahead. But Chief Jonathan has also been hedging . his . 'bets- by holding secret meetings with the African; National Congress (A.N.C.), the ,i ; liberation . p movement- : which may have/won power by the ;\time the project finally comes “on stream.” The; A.N.C. is? understood to have given its blessing to the scheme. . - • ' Even if the feasibility'study is encouraging, and the vast diversion project is actually . built, Lesotho’s water exports will not begin until 1994. ; Copyright, London. Observer, ■ Service. ’