By Neo Kolane
The multi-million Ha-Belo Industrial Estate in the Botha-Bothe district, which was touted to employ about 14 500 people when fully operational, has now become a target of vandalism.
The property is yet to be officially handed over to the government’s investment promotion arm, the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC).
The construction of the M900 million Ha-Belo Industrial Estate commenced in January 2018.
According to the Lesotho National Development Corporation, the industrial estate when fully complete will house 51 factory shells with the capacity to employ over 40,000 people. Prospective tenants include textile industry and agri-business.
“The industrial estate will initially have 14,250 permanent jobs with all the necessary roads, waters and sewage facilities as well as electricity and telecommunications networks needed for an industrial estate to operate effectively. The construction shall also see 3000 non-permanent jobs being created,” the corporation says.
The delay to complete the estate was previously attributed to resurveys and digital terrain modelling of the project site, among others.
According to Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) interim spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Kabelo Halahala, the police have received reports of theft of materials like fences, poles, corrugated iron sheets, tiles and doors.
Halahala says no one has been arrested yet in connection with the vandalism to the public property.
theReporter has learnt that Unik Construction Engineering (PTY) Ltd which is the main contractor signed a contract with G4S (PTY) security company to provide security services at the estate. A couple of Unik staffers confirmed the engagement of the security company but were unwilling to divulge more information because their bosses were not available.
However, authoritative reports in Botha Bothe have confirmed that there is indeed a noticeable visibility of security personnel on the project premises.
The district administrator of Botha Bothe, Tṥepa Chaba, confirmed the vandalism, which he said is perpetrated during the night.
Chaba labelled the defacement an act of mischief, adding that the portion of the fence that has been destroyed is obscure and cannot be easily spotted.
He also attributed the crime to the high rate of unemployment and impatience on the part of people who were eagerly looking forward to the industrial estate becoming operational and opening up job opportunities.
The chief of Ha-Belo, Nhlapho Chona, confirmed that the industrial estate built on his land was indeed being damaged and equipment stolen.
“I only saw the information on TV last month. The destruction was never reported to me by Unik Construction Engineering or the police,” Chona said.
He told this publication that as the chief of the area, this makes him believe that there could be more to this vandalism than meets the eye.
“I suspected this could be some form of backlash from disappointed community members who are frustrated by the continued unemployment.
“What worries me is that the police only informed me once about the suspected theft of a fence and even made an arrest. That was last year. But I have not received any reports of the recent spate of vandalism.
“If the matter had been reported to me and my people were involved in one way or another, perhaps I could have mobilised my subjects and the missing equipment could have been recovered,” he noted.
During a tour of the construction site in 2021, principal engineer Delayneh Girma said the delayed approval of financing plans for the supply of water and power services could delay opening of the Ha-Belo industrial estate.
Girma said operations of the factories would be impossible without water supply.
In another development, the Lesotho Renewable Energy and Energy Access Project (LRREEAP) last year embarked on a campaign to introduce both grid and mini-grid electricity in rural areas around the country as well as in industrial areas such as Ha Belo and Ha Tikoe.
In a recent interview, LREEAP coordinator ‘Mathapelo Keke Silase said the substation has been completed and they are yet to install wires since electricity poles have been erected.
“The Ha-Belo industrial estate will have electricity in February 2024,” Silase said.
The purpose of LREEAP is to serve rural areas with interim electricity supplies until such time that the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) has connected them to its grid.
Residents of Ha Belo last year told this publication that they were looking forward to the opening of the industrial estate which they believed would open doors to an assortment of life-changing opportunities.
One of them, Mohau Motiea who was in the process of constructing rental houses near the Ha Belo Industrial Estate, said he was building the houses so that when the factories start operating people would not have to struggle with accommodation and find themselves having to travel long distances every day.
He said when the construction of the factory shells started, he saw a business opportunity and grabbed it.
“I am optimistic that in September this year, the houses will be ready, then I will rent them out. They are two roomed houses and I am hoping to charge M800 per rental house.
“The Ha Belo factories are going to open many job opportunities and the Botha Bothe economy will grow. Many communities around here are going to benefit from this project,” Motiea added.
LNDC corporate communication manager Tiisetso Moremoholo said the organisation is aware of the incidents of theft and vandalism at Ha Belo.
“Contractually, the site still belongs to the contractor until the project is completed; as such the risk and loss is for the contractors account and not that of LNDC. Nevertheless, the criminal activity is very concerning and LNDC has partnered with the LMPS to establish a permanent presence at Belo in order to provide a deterrent and a faster response.
“Roughly M700 000 has been lost, according to the contractor which he must replace from own funds. That means it is not an additional cost to the project. “LNDC is aiming for mid-2024 for the industrial estate to start functioning, as we await bulk water supply and electricity supply projects which are ongoing. Once those are complete the estate can be utilised,” Moremoholo said.
