Thousands of years after they started building their houses and homes on mountainsides, Basotho must be beginning to question the wisdom of the action as they become victims of rockfalls.

Rock falls have destroyed the Khaseng, Khanyane in Leribe homes of Mrs. 'Mathabang Metsing and Mr. Tlala Fusi on January 18  leaving one of them homeless.

In an interview with the Lesotho News Agency, Mr. Fusi said he was sleeping with two his children when he heard a dreadful sound, which he later discovered to be a rock rolling down the mountain just missing his animal enclosure. Minutes after he had taken his children out of the house, another huge rock hit and went through it.

Mr. Fusi is now fearful that there will be more rockfalls, which will affect more people especially because they all have built their houses below the mountain. He has been left homeless as that was the only house he had, he said.

Another resident, Mrs. Metsing was sleeping with a grandchild when a rock hit the roof and fell inside, missing the sleeping child by a few centimetres. Other residents of Khaseng also fear that they will be next.

District Administrator Mr. Mothooasebaka Lehloenya said it was a miracle that there was no injury or loss of life and promised that the District Disaster Management Authority will conduct a needs assessment to facilitate assistance.

Regional Roads Department engineer in the northern districts, Mr. Motlatsi Mohobelo said the rock fall could have been caused by a combination of the recent drought and strong heat which would cause cracks to fall in the rock formations of the mountains, loosened later by heavy rains.

19 January 2006