Parliamentarians and the media will tour areas affected by the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) at Ha Mohale and Katse on Thursday and Friday this week. The Transformation Resource Centre (TRC) has organized the two-day tour to acquaint members of the national assembly and members of the senate with development relating to social and environmental aspects of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP).

In an interview, the TRC Programme Assistant Mr. Bahlakoana Manyanye said the tour would also provide a chance for parliamentarians to observe disadvantages that were brought by the project to people who stay in areas around the places where the project operates. He stated that the experience that the parliamentarians would have from the tour would help them to engage on debate in both houses of parliament basing
themselves on the real situation on matters pertaining to the LHWP. He noted that they would also have a chance to visit people who have been driven from their places under the conditions that they would be compensated, saying the delegation would be able to observe how compensation is conducted.

Mr. Manyanye mentioned that the trip is also aimed at building interest among media people on LHWP issues, so that they can be able to have current information on matters like, compensation, resettlement as well as developments aiming at improving the living standards of the people affected by the project. He said it is expected that 10 members from each house of parliament and five people drawn from different media houses, would participate in the tour. The TRC is a human rights oriented Non Governmental Organisation, whose objective is working for peace, justice and participatory development.

05 November,2002