The construction of the M1.8 billion Mpiti to Sehlabathebe road in Qacha’s Nek district has left a trail of destruction and affected disgruntled local villagers counting their losses.
The construction of the road that connects Qacha’s Nek communities to Sehlabathebe National Park commenced in 2019 and was officially launched by Prime Minister Sam Matekane in 2024.
But life has not all been a bed of roses since then, a year after bottles of champagne were popped.
Residents of the 21 villages unavoidably impacted say while they welcome the road construction project, construction has left a trail of destruction in the area, ranging from cracked houses, destroyed fences, and unclosed ditches blocking access to schools.
The contractor, QingJian Group Company, had also left without paying wages to local workers, they allege.
Some villagers say their houses were cracked by blasting and others affected by moisture from water on the road surface. This has forced them to rent accommodation since their dwellings have become inhabitable. No compensation was paid, they claim.
In some instances, household property such as furniture were spoilt.
Cultivation of fields has also become difficult because areas surrounding agricultural fields were left without drainages to remove water after the road construction.
Here and there, rocks were tossed onto the fields and have not been removed to date, while yard fences were also destroyed and have not been repaired.
The main contractor, QingJian Group Company, allegedly collected quarry in different areas, creating and leaving behind depths that have not been rehabilitated. Some animals have fallen into the pits, the villagers claim.
They also allege that some community paths connecting students and teachers to their schools were blocked and never attended to.
The contractor has also been accused of failing to honour an agreement reached between the Roads Directorate and communities, committing to create playgrounds for students and to make roads within villages as part of its social responsibility.
After receiving a petition from the affected communities, the committee held a joint meeting with them and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, to understand their complaints. The meeting was followed by a public hearing from May 15 and 16 2025.
The villagers’ concerns and challenges have captured by the Portfolio Committee on Natural Resources in its efforts to find solutions following their petition and appeal for help.
Following its findings, the committee compiled a report and was presented it before the National Assembly this week. It now awaits adoption by the House.
According to the report tabled by the chairperson of the committee, Moeketsi Motšoane, the public hearing was attended by the communities of Mpiti, Waterfall, Mosuoe, Auplas, Ha Rafatše, Ha Theko, Ha Thaba, Ha Matlali, Likhohloaneng, Kanana, Ha Mojaki, Paneng, Rankakala, Hill top, Makoae, Mapakising, Ha Semethe, Makhoarerng, Ramahlaela, Ramatšeliso, Sekokoaneng, Ha Moshebi, Kiung, Mavuka and Sehaba-Thebe. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the contractors were also represented.
In the committee’s report, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport reveals a total 149 grievances of damaged agricultural fields, individual assets and others were lodged.
Of these, 95 cases were resolved and 36 remain unresolved. Another 10 were still under discussion while eight related to agricultural fields and fence were rejected by the contractor.
According to the ministry, the contractor rejected the cases claiming that the complainants claimed compensation for fields that are not within the range of the road reserve.
The claims were compensation for fields affected by quarry operations at the borrow-pit were denied because it was confirmed that the quarry was already damaged, it said.
“178 community complaints related to blast damages were filed and we resolved them. Out of the 150 houses that were repaired, 73 were accepted by the owners, 57 were rejected and 202 were not classified and unclear if they have been accepted or rejected. Twelve cases were unresolved, six are still in progress while 10 were rejected by the contractor,” the ministry noted.
The contractor reportedly rejected 10 cases related to blast damages as complainants refused to grant the assigned subcontractors’ permission to repair their houses.
The report says complainants reportedly hired contractors to repair their houses without QingJian Group’s authorisation and subsequently filed claims demanding reimbursement, which the company refused to honour.
It further states that the complainants prohibited assigned sub-contractors to conduct repairs on their houses, opting for the construction of new houses. Also, it was discovered that some of them were outside the range of the reserved road.
Efforts to obtain comment from QingJian Group yesterday were unsuccessful.
But according to the ministry, the contractor intends to repair remaining 17 houses that were damaged due to blasting. This after a commitment to compensate unpaid claimants before the end of the 2025/2026 fiscal year.
The ministry also promised the affected communities that unresolved complaints relating to cultivating sites and houses would be addressed.
Further, it made a commitment to facilitate a meeting between unpaid employees and the sub-contractors. A total of 1,548 Basotho were employed, 1331 of them from Qacha’s Nek, while 217 were from other districts and 126 were foreign nations.
The construction also created business opportunities for communities around the project area, where residents were selling meals and fruits to employees. The road has made it easier for communities to access transport and health services timeously.
Following these findings, the committee recommended that the District Administrator for Qacha’s Nek establish an ad hoc committee to coordinate the unsolved community grievances caused by the project. This should consist of community representatives, councils, chiefs, and the member of parliament for the constituency.
The committee also recommended that the Ministry of Environment should provide educational awareness regarding Sehlabathebe National Park and its protection to chiefs, herd boys, and communities around it.
