Resettlement projects, whether spontaneous or assisted, are always fraught with social, economic and environmental problems (Cemea 1991; Kinsey and Binswanger 1993; Guggenheim 1994; McDowell 1996). These include homelessness, landlessness, unemployment, food insecurity, disease and marginalisation. Those who are displaced often have to suffer most of the disbenefits while others reap what benefits may ensue (Cemea 1994,1996c).

Much of the recent focus on resettlement has concerned innovative development policies (World Bank 1994b). While some success has been achieved in this area (Cemea 1996c), there remains the challenge of implementing these policies to maximise the benefit for those to be resettled.

This chapter describes an attempt to implement a resettlement project associated with Katse dam in Lesotho as a community development project where those involved seek to maximise short- and long-term benefits. We begin by describing the project in its regional and national context and then examine its impact on those involved.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Lesotho emerged from autocratic and military rule following democratic elections in March 1993. A new local government structure has yet to be put in place, and meanwhile local administration is undertaken at District, Ward, Principal Chief and Village Development Council levels.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is a large hydropowergeneration scheme undertaken jointly by the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa. It will be implemented in a number of phases. This initially involves the construction of Katse dam (180m high), a tailpond (Muela dam, 55m high), with a tunnel between these (45km long), and another (40 km) tunnel between Muela and the outfall on the As River, a tributary of the Vaal River. Subsequently, this will involve constructing a series of further dams: Mohale, Mashai, Tsoelike and Ntoahae. These latter phases will depend on feasibility studies that currently indicate that only the first four constructions are likely to be implemented. The aim of the project is to augment the supply of water to Gauteng Province in South Africa, a major industrial and residential complex, and to supply Lesotho with enough electricity in the medium term to replace imported electricity from Eskom, the power generation company in South Africa.