Lesotho: The deal with water | Global Ideas

Lesotho is water-rich. But the southern African kingdom is one of the world's poorest countries. To fill the state coffers, the government exports water to its parched neighbor, South Africa. Not only do Lesotho's villagers suffer, so does its eco-system.

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[sulaak]

It is a brilliant deal for Lesotho, they get electricity and $70 million a year to supply SA with fresh water. The problem is with Lesotho government officials that have failed to compensate the displaced people.

[abrahamsneo]

As a Lesotho cityzen, 🇱🇸 I know exactly how the corrupt governments sold our small country .
It's really sad. We're really poor while politicians live lavish lifestyle with our taxes.

[jackquinn]

I don't want to sound too critical, but the video doesn't really do enough investigative journalism to really give this story any legs. When or what was promised for relocation? surely there was some paper trail or at least a statement from a commercial organization. have they already received any other kind of compensation? eg. they moved the village (built them new houses) where they to the same or better standard than they were previously?

[nathanngumi]

This is a good initiative but caution is needed especially by Lesotho to ensure that the water also benefits people and the environment in the country and not all of it is diverted to South Africa.

[keketsomega]

Lesotho as an independent country will never make sense to anyone even to people from Lesotho it doesn't make sense. Majority of them live with us in South Africa, they have both SA and Lesotho citizenship, they receive social grants from SA government like us and their children go to SA schools for free like us. We don't complain about that because to us they are our people, our blood relatives. We are the same community with Lesotho, we speak the same language, we are also Basotho like them, we are just one family who is divided by a boarder.

[natalieruss]

I THINK I'M BLESSED BECAUSE IF NOT I WOULDN'T HAVE MET SOMEONE WHO IS AS SPECTACULAR AS EXPERT AVA LIO

I THINK SHE IS THE BEST BROKER EVERYONE SHOULD BE PROUD OFF

[ravenblack]

Undoubtedly, the compensation is being pocketed by the Lesotho government. Very disappointing that this problem has not been interrogated fully by the journalists and both governments not interviewed to provide answers. It just feels like a hatchet job or perhaps someone simply wanted to ser the real Wakanda, I wonder....

[matseperetselisitsoe]

As a citizen of Lesotho, I really appreciate that you found it worthy to cover this issue. However, here is a piece of advice: when you cover content from other countries, especially where the language is different from yours, please collaborate with locals so that the pronunciation of names of people and places could be correct. Your translation was really on point, good work indeed and thank you.

[Miamcoline]

Its really good to see that there are people and organisations who care about their country and are not just standing aside and letting negative things happen to their environment and their community.

[lu]

Lesotho is a BEAUTIFUL place.
It's like Switzerland in Africa.

[mrplumtreeandfamily]

I like Lesotho mountains the country is so beautiful

[vik]

Lesotho must just become a Province of South Africa. They are too heavily dependent on South Africa, might as well join them. There's no proper medical care in Lesotho, so their people always come to SA for medical assistance. There's no free education in Lesotho. Just join SA and stop being stubborn. You can't run a country when your only asset is water

[HeroInHelp]

The geography of that country is stunning. I always thought that pocket in SA was some lake, not a landlocked mountainous country!

[carlajordon]

O MY GOD, THE LAND IS BEYOND BEAUTIFUL 😍

[logen]

still to this day I do not understand why Lesotho is a country inside another country?

[thapelomaraisane]

This is wild. Mr. Mothusi Seqhee lives in the village I grew up in. I'm in college with his daughter!

[governormadea]

You can’t blame South Africa for this. It’s purely on our disgustingly distinction of our government

[binaysenapati]

An Indian businessman Dharam Kapoor once missed his flight to Lesotho. His brother sold the gift he was supposed to give to the king of Lesotho.

[mck]

78million euros per annum x 18 = R1.4 billion...not that large an amount but it can make an impact in the right hands... intersting documentary, I am lookig forward to an expanded version, this was a taste of the story.

[jocelynevkb]

Thank you, SADLY, for providing insights into the impact of greed & mismanagement to a fragile ecosystem & to the livelihoods of its ancestral inhabitants ... Could the music be turned down at the end of the segment, though, to hear the final statement ... !?!