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AN EXPLORATION OF HOW COMMUNITIES IN LESOTHO CAN

BENEFIT THROUGH KATSE, MOHALE AND MUELA DAMS IN
ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION.
Mukurunge T. 1, Mataka, T. W 2, Bhila T 3
1,2, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Lesotho Campus
2National University of Lesotho

ABSTRACT
The government of Lesotho, in partnership with the Republic of South Africa, invested in the
construction of Katse, Mohale and Muela dams in the 1980s but since then there is no evidence of these
two bodies of water contributing towards agricultural production in Lesotho. The primary business for
the construction of these two dams is to supply South Africa with water but Lesotho can maximize on
this venture and cost effectively utilize the water for agricultural purposes especially through drip
irrigation. The water resource can also boost tourism ventures and the conservation of the
environment around the reservoirs. All these ventures, if fully and meaningfully explored, can create
much needed employment for local communities. This study therefore seeks to explore the potential
presented by the existence of the two dams in Lesotho, especially for boosting agricultural production
and establish Lesotho as an independent producer of its own food to feed the nation and boost industry
at the same time. Using qualitative methods of data gathering, presentation and analysis, this study
sought to establish the efforts by the responsible authorities in Lesotho to boost agriculture production
in order to establish a solid agricultural base through irrigation schemes from the dams.
Keyword: Agriculture, Dams, Irrigation, Ministry of agriculture, Lesotho Highlands Development
Authority, Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation
1. INTRODUCTION social development. The agreement of the project
stipulates that South Africa is 100 percent
Katse, Mohale and Muela dams are a joint venture responsible for the water transfer costs and
project between the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Lesotho is 100 percent responsible for the hydro-
Republic of South Africa established in 1986 as a power generation costs.
means of providing a long lasting solution to the
shortage of water in the industrial hub and One of the funders of the LHWP was the World
densely populated South African area of Gauteng. Bank (the International Bank for Reconstruction
The joint venture project is known as the Lesotho and Development), which provided a loan of
Highlands Water Project (LHWP) and is US$45 000 000 to Lesotho which was three
administered in Lesotho through the Lesotho percent of the total project cost (World Bank 2007
Highlands Development Authority (LHDA). Tlali in Hitchcock, 2015). Hitchcock (2015) goes on to
(2015) writes that the concept of the LHWP goes identify other funders as the government of
back to the 1930s for the purposes of revenue Lesotho, the Development Bank of South Africa
generation and reduction of energy imports for (DBSA), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the
Lesotho as well as to meet the increasing African Development Bank, and various
household and industrial water needs for South commercial banks and institutions.
Africa. Tlali (2015) goes on to say that both
countries are allowed the opportunity to Apart from supplying water to South Africa and
undertake ancillary developments in its territory, the generation of hydroelectric power for Lesotho,
including; the provision of water for irrigation, one of the objectives of the LHWP was to provide
potable water supply and other uses; the water for irrigation and drinking to Basotho. It
development of other projects to generate hydro- therefore is the intention of this study to explore
electric power; and the development of tourism, how water from the three dams, Katse, Mohale
fisheries and other projects for economic and and Muela, can be harnessed and channeled

IJARW1365 International Journal of All Research Writings 87


towards irrigation schemes in Lesotho, among
other projects that can create employment and
boost the national economy.
Most importantly, Article 18 - Procedure for
Review and Revision
(1) The provisions of this Treaty shall be reviewed
at intervals of twelve years, calculated from the
date of signature hereof or at such other intervals
as the Parties may agree upon.
(2) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Treaty
may be amended at any time by agreement of both
Parties
It is against this background that the Lesotho
government can initiate dialogue that can lead to
economically viable changes to the previous
agreements as prescribed in article 18.
Noteworthy, is that the agreements were signed
during apartheid; a time where the interests of the
white people were key, in comparison to those of
Basotho.
2.BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Lesotho has had infrastructure to harness the
water resource for more than two decades now.
However, much of the water has been pumped
incessantly to the Republic of South Africa, in
accordance with one of the provisions of the initial
agreements of the joint venture. The other
ventures that have the potential to benefit Lesotho
significantly appear to be regarded peripherally. If
the authorities in Lesotho could only commit more
resources to agriculture, more concerted efforts
towards power generation, and the fisheries
industry for instance, Lesotho could, by now, have
attained significant levels of economic
development.
To date, there are little collaborations between
government, the private sector and tertiary
institutions in exploring how to make maximum
use of the water resource and all that comes along
with it. The responsible authorities can go beyond
the LHDA initiative and bring business (for
funding) and tertiary institutions (for research) in
exploring how best to utilize the available water
resource. Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs)
can be signed between tertiary institutions, the
LHDA, Government ministries and departments
and the private sector committed to explore and
fully utilize the ventures related to agriculture,
IJARW1365 International Journal of All Research Writings
© IJARW | ISSN (O) - 2582-1008
September 2020 | Vol. 2 Issue. 3
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tourism, conservation and the fisheries, among
other ventures.
3.STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Lesotho is a country with water and land enough
to produce food and feed the whole nation yet
export food from the Republic of South Africa
perennially. The LHWP agreement between
Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa has got
provision for irrigation, among other terms, yet no
significant exploration in that sphere has been
undertaken by the country. Lesotho should
therefore explore the avenue of boosting food
production through utilizing the readily available
water resource instead of mainly focusing on
pumping it enmasse to the Republic of South
Africa. Apart from agriculture, other ventures
enshrined in the agreement between the two
countries have not been fully explored and
exploited as well.
4.STUDY OBJECTIVES
The work seeks to revisit the terms and conditions
of the joint venture agreement between Lesotho
and the Republic of South Africa over the water
project that sees water from Lesotho bringing
relief to the shortages suffered by the Gauteng
province of South Africa. The focus of the study is
in giving pointers to the government of Lesotho,
the business community and tertiary institutions
to kick start economic development for Lesotho
basing on the water resource which is fairly
abundant in the kingdom.
5.CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
This study is informed and guided by the concept
of increased food security and self sufficiency in
food production. On “food self sufficiency” and
“food security”, Rothkegel (1997) says that a
nation’s population is food secure when all its
members are sufficiently well fed for them to be
able to lead a healthy life and active life and also
that a nation is self sufficient in food when it
produces enough for its entire population and
does not need import. Eicher and Staatz (nd)
observe food security as ensuring that food deficit
countries, or regions or households within
countries meet target levels of consumption.
Eicher and Staatz (1985) also define food security
as the ability of a country or region to assure, on
a long- term basis, that its food system provides
the total population access to a timely, reliable and
nutritionally adequate supply of food. It is in line
88

with these definitions and visions of food security
and self sufficiency in food production that the
study intends to explore how water from the three
dams, Katse, Mohale and Muela, can provide water
for irrigation in order for communities in Lesotho
to produce adequate food for consumption at
household level and beyond. However, the
approach should be the empowerment of Basotho
by giving them total ownership of their resources;
the water in the reservoirs, the land on which the
reservoirs sit and the environment at large. The
manner in which the infrastructure was set up
needs to be revisited because it was executed in a
smash and grab colonial way. Apartheid South
Africa and a military junta consummated the
water deal within a short space of time in 1986
displacing communities whose ancestral land was
inundated with scant compensation to the affected
communities. The whole process needs thorough
sanitization and terms and conditions being
revisited to bring sanity to the whole deal to the
benefit of the communities.
6.LITERATURE REVIEW
Following up on the Lesotho South Africa water
agreement, the kingdom of Lesotho can make use
of the LHDA water agreement to boost food
production through agriculture. Careful use of
water through drip irrigation can conserve water,
Ward and Pulido-Velazquez (2008) established. In
the case of Lesotho, due to the mountainous
terrain which has a high rate of runoff and the
danger of siltation for the reservoirs, keeping the
mountain sides green can mitigate that kind of
erosion.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO,
2016) writes that there are a number of instances
when pursuing policies to increase a country’s
own food production for domestic consumption
may be beneficial both economically and
politically. According to FAO (1999), the concept
of food self- sufficiency is generally taken to mean
the extent to which a country can satisfy its food
needs from its own domestic production. The FAO
(2016) continues to elaborate that self- sufficiency
typically refers to countries that seek to produce
all or most of their own food for domestic
consumption.
Agriculture is linked to food security, nutrition
and health, rural development and growth, and
the environment (FAO, 2017). It therefore is
crucial to the development of economies such as
IJARW1365 International Journal of All Research Writings
© IJARW | ISSN (O) - 2582-1008
September 2020 | Vol. 2 Issue. 3
www.ijarw.com
that of Lesotho to explore economic development
with agriculture as a launching pad based on the
available water resource.
Scholars who have carried out research on the
value of water to the tourism industry unearthed
the fact that water based tourism provides aspects
of escape and entertainment (Folgado- Fernandez,
Di- Clemente, Hernandez- Mogollon and Campo-
Cerro, 2018). In these scholars’ findings in their
study carried out in Spain, they say that water, in
tourism, has therapeutic or medical value in the
sense that contact with water during holidays can
be fun as much as it can be relaxing. Lesotho can
take advantage of the existing water reservoirs to
develop tourism that can attract visitors to
Lesotho looking for such recreation and
relaxation.
Study by the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) in West and Central Africa reveals the
potential of large, medium and small scale
fisheries in transforming poor economies
(Horemans and Kebe, 2006). Lesotho can do a case
study of one of those African countries’ fisheries
industry and benchmark for implementation on
the Katse, Mohale and Muela reservoirs.
7. METHODOLOGY
The study interviewed officials from the Ministry
of Agriculture, the Lesotho Highlands
Development Authority and the Lesotho Tourism
Development Corporation. Data was presented
and analysed qualitatively. This study used
qualitative research methodology for gathering,
presentation and analysis of information. In-depth
interviews were carried out face to face,
telephonically and via email with officials from the
LHDA, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Lesotho
Tourism Development Corporation. The study
used convenience sampling for the interviewees
because the focus was on the stakeholders (LHDA,
LTDC and the Ministry of Agriculture) who are
development partners within Lesotho from the
water agreement with South africa.
8. FINDINGS
8.1. Findings from LHDA
The LHDA says it works with various government
departments and agencies in efforts to preserve
the wetlands, rare and endangered plant species
in the highlands. The LHDA gave the example of
the Tsehlanyane nature reserve in the highlands
89

of Leribe District where efforts were successfully
made to conserve and nurture vegetation and
ensure grazing is moderated. As a result, the
waters that flow down from the highlands and
along the Tsehlanyane River are clear and rarely
muddy because erosion from the mountains is
very minimal. The LHDA also claims to have
compensated the communities around the
reservoirs so that they stop tilling the land.
8.2. Findings from Ministry of Agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture referred all questions
to the LHDA.
8.3. Findings from LTDC
The LTDC says it signed a memorandum of
understanding with the LHDA on 4 November
2014 for cooperation on creation, utilization and
development of recreational facilities and
activities on and around the waters of Katse,
Mohale and Muela dams. However, to date,
nothing has been implemented. The LTDC said
that there are no clear lines of communication
between them, the LHDA and the LHWC. The LTDC
says this confusion has been a huge draw back
hence the lack of meaningful benefits from the
MoU.
8.4. Discussion of findings
Drip irrigation leads to efficient water usage. A
well-designed drip irrigation system prevents
water runoff and siltation if practiced around
water reservoirs. The fields around Katse, Mohale
and Muela dams are sloppy and susceptible to
erosion which causes siltation of the dams. Smart
farming through controlled irrigation can protect
the environment of the dams whilst feeding the
communities. It would be ideal for the ministry of
agriculture to be proactive and engage the LHDA
on utilizing the water from the three reservoirs for
smart irrigation purposes that will boost food
production and therefore food self-sufficiency in
Lesotho at the same time protecting the
environment around the dams.
Water can turn a traditional tourist destination
into a multidimensional experience, write
Folgado- Fernandez et al (2018), emphasizing the
beauty of its landscape, the relaxation it provides,
its hypnotic sounds, and its irreplaceable value to
achieving balance in and sustainability of local
environments. Cooperation between the LHDA
and the LTDC in Lesotho over the waters of Katse,
IJARW1365 International Journal of All Research Writings
© IJARW | ISSN (O) - 2582-1008
September 2020 | Vol. 2 Issue. 3
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Mohale and Muela can easily convert Lesotho into
this paradise for local and international tourists
who will inject currencies into the national
economy. The LTDC can go a step further and
work with the LHDA in developing wild life parks
around the Mohale and Muela dams, in the same
vein as the Tsehlanyane nature reserve in Leribe.
Cooperation between the agriculture sector and
the LHDA in the area of fisheries is another area
that can boost food production, creating
employment and eradicating poverty. The fishery
sector is dynamic and reactive to its local, national
and international environment (Horemans and
Kebe, 2006). Lesotho should therefore properly
evaluate the size and value of the water resource
to establish how the fishery sector can provide the
greatest contribution to national poverty
reduction.
Much as it might appear as if the LHDA is mainly
concerned with pumping out as much water out of
Lesotho to South Africa as possible, they can
engage in conservation projects around the dams
as exemplified by the Tsehlanyane nature reserve.
Agreements between the LHDA and “partners” are
just on paper but are yet to be fully enacted, as is
exemplified by the MoU with the LTDC. It is up to
the other partners to be proactive and engage the
water authority in agriculture, tourism and
conservation projects that can lead to creating
employment for local communities, boost the
foreign currency revenue generation and food
self-sufficiency for the nation at large.
The well being of the environment and the
communities that are supposed to benefit from the
water project are not prioritized. The
development partners should revise the original
water agreement with South Africa and give
priority to benefits to the local communities so as
to improve their livelihoods and eradicate
poverty.
The environment around the reservoirs is
neglected and more needs to be done by the
Lesotho environment agency, ministry of
agriculture, the LTDC in collaboration with the
LHDA. The environment can be conserved with
communities benefitting were the LHDA and the
LTDC to cooperate in conservation and related
projects. Water can turn a traditional tourist
destination into a multidimensional experience,
emphasizing the beauty of its landscapes, the
relaxation it provides, its hypnotic sounds, and its
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irreplaceable value to achieving balance in and [5] Hitchcock, R. K. (2015). THE Lesotho
sustainability of local environments. Highlands Water Project: Dams,
Development, and the World Bank,
9. RECOMMENDATIONS Sociology and Anthropology 3(10) 526-
The Ministry of Agriculture should be more 538, 2015 DOI http://www.hrpub.org
proactive in engaging the LHDA in initiating [6] Horemans, B. & Kebe, M. 2006. Enhancing
irrigation projects as well as fishery industry the economic contribution of fisheries to
projects. west and central African nations. IIFET
2006 Portsmouth Proceedongs.
The LHDA should be engaged to deliver on what it [7] Rothkegel, B. (1997). Food security or food
agreed with ministries and government self- sufficiency for Namibia? The
departments it has MoUs with. background and a review of the economic
policy implications. Discussion Paper No 1.
The LHDA should look beyond the conservation
[8] Tlali, R. (2015). Lesotho Highlands Water
around Tsehlanyane nature reserve and actively
Project
conserve the Katse, Mohale and Muela
www.lhda.org.ls/.../Media%20Owners%2
environments as well.
0Brief%20on%20the%20LHWP-22%20...
10. CONCLUSION [9] Treaty on the Lesotho highlands water
project between the government of the
Lesotho has got natural resources which, if Kingdom of Lesotho and the government
properly utilized will unlock economic growth. of the Republic of South Africa signed at
Katse and Mohale dams can supply South Africa Maseru, 24 October 1986
with water and sustain the local communities [10] Ward, F. A. &Pulido-Velazquez, M. 2008.
agriculturally. Smart agricultural practices can Water conservation in irrigation can
benefit the communities and protect the conserve water use. PNAS. Vol. 105. No. 47.
environment, for example, through drip irrigation.
The water sources, which are a source of income
from water sales to South Africa, are under threat
if the environment is not conserved, as is the case
with the Katse, Mohale and Muela dams.
The LHDA should make sustained efforts through
working with the authorities and following up on
MoUs with tangible action to conserve the
environment.
References
[1] Eicher, C. K. and Staatz, J. M. (1985). Food
security policy in Sub- Saharan Africa.
[2] FAO. (2016). Food self- sufficiency and
international trade: a false dichotomy?
[3] FAO. 2017. Water for sustainable food and
agriculture: a report produced for the G20
presidency of Germany. Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations. Roma.
[4] Folgado- Fernandez, J. A., Di- Clemente, E.,
Hernandez- Mogollon, J.M., and Camon-
Cerro, A. M. 2018. Water tourism: a new
strategy for the sustainable management
of water-based ecosystems and landscapes
in Extremedura (Spain). Land. 8, 2.

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