Staff Reporters
Three Members of Parliament (MP) from Mafeteng district have been thrust into the spotlight amid an escalating water crisis affecting the district.
Advocate Fusi Sehapi has written to Hlalele Letšaba, a proportional representative MP for the Democratic Congress (DC), Dr. Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane, the Qalabane constituency MP, and Moeketsi Motšoane, MP for Mafeteng constituency, demanding they publicly address what actions they are taking to alleviate the crisis.
Letšaba serves as the treasurer of the DC, while Matlanyane, who represents the ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), is the Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
Motšoane stated last night that he had not yet received the letter. Newsday was unable to obtain comments from Letšaba and Hlalele yesterday. However, it has reviewed a copy of the letter, which bears a stamp from Matlanyane’s office, confirming that it was received there yesterday.
In his letter, dated January 9, 2025, Sehapi emphasised the critical nature of access to water, linking it to the constitutional right to life as outlined in Section 5 of the Lesotho Constitution.
“The right to life, as entrenched in Section 5 of the Lesotho Constitution, is central to the exercise of all other rights. The right to life is inseparably linked to access to adequate and clean water supply,” Sehapi wrote.
He stressed that without water, voters who elected the MPs to the 11th Parliament would not have survived to do so, adding: “Without the lives of voters, you would be representing only yourselves in Parliament.”
Sehapi called on the MPs to “account openly” and to “join forces with the people of Mafeteng in their desperate fight for their lives, and the lives of their children, animals, plants, and businesses.”
He argued that the MPs have a “positive legal duty” to address the crisis as part of their social contract with voters.
Sehapi gave the MPs a seven-day deadline to respond, failing which he threatened to initiate urgent human rights litigation on behalf of Mafeteng residents.
On Wednesday this week, the Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) released a statement acknowledging the severe water scarcity currently affecting Mafeteng and said it was taking urgent action to address the water crisis.
“The Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) acknowledges the severe water scarcity currently affecting Mafeteng, which has disrupted daily life and strained businesses and essential services,” WASCO said.
It indicated that this crisis directly resulted from unpredictable weather patterns linked to climate change, including prolonged droughts and extreme heat waves, compounded by the siltation of the Rasebala Dam, the town’s primary water source.
WASCO’s caretaker Chief Executive Seboko, expressed deep concern over the situation.
“We are acutely aware of the hardships faced by the Mafeteng community and businesses due to the ongoing water scarcity. As your service provider, we are fully committed to implementing effective measures to alleviate the crisis and ensure that Mafeteng residents and businesses receive the water they desperately need,” Seboko said.
According to WASCO, the Rasebala Dam, commissioned in 1993 and upgraded in 2012 to meet growing demand, has suffered significant siltation, reducing its storage capacity to just 15 percent.
The town’s water treatment plant, designed to produce 3.3 Mega Liters per day (ML/D), currently delivers only 1.8 ML/D, well below the town’s demand.
“Additional challenges include dwindling water levels in supplementary dams, Luma and Raleting, which were commissioned during a severe drought in 2015 as temporary relief measures,” WASCO said.
Last month, Advocate Sehapi, on behalf of Mafeteng residents and the rights group Advocates for the Supremacy of the Constitution (SECTION 2), urged authorities to address the crisis.
In a letter dated December 24, 2024, Sehapi wrote to Health Minister Selibe Mochoboroane and Natural Resources Minister Mohlomi Moleko, reminding them of the government’s obligation to provide water.
SECTION 2 issued a statement on December 31, 2024, confirming severe water shortages in Mafeteng and calling on Moleko to declare a water emergency within 14 days.
“Compliance with legal regulations governing water resource management is crucial for maintaining the rule of law and safeguarding citizens’ rights,” the group said.
The organisation pledged solidarity with Mafeteng residents and demanded transparency in water management practices. Failure to address the crisis, it warned, would lead to legal action against WASCO and the government.

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