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’Marafaele Mohloboli
TWO security guards have been gunned down by unknown assailants at Katse Dam, Thaba-Tseka. The gruesome incident is yet another case of the rampant murders rocking the country with the police seemingly powerless to stop them.
In a statement, the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) yesterday said the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday.
The authority said the guards were found alive and ferried to ‘Mamohau Hospital. One is said to have succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital while the other died on Tuesday.
“It is with heavy hearts that the LHDA informs the public of a tragic incident that happened at Katse Dam in the early hours of Monday 12 September 2022,” the LHDA statement says.
“It is reported that on or about 4am, unknown people attacked the security officers deployed at the two entrances of the Katse Dam (West Gate and Dam Wall entrance). Both security officers were found in the morning with gunshot wounds and were immediately rushed to ‘Mamohau Hospital. Sadly, they both lost their lives; one on the way to hospital and the other on Tuesday 13 September 2022.
“The incident has been reported to the police and investigations are ongoing. LHDA management wishes to express its heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and sincerely hopes that the perpetrators will be found and brought to book.”
Katse Dam was constructed as part of phase one of the 1986 Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) agreement between Lesotho and South Africa to provide water to the Gauteng province and to generate hydro-electricity for Lesotho.
Work on phase two of LHWP is underway. It entails the construction of a dam at Polihali downstream of the confluence of the Khubelu and Senqu (Orange) Rivers and an approximately 38km long concrete-lined gravity tunnel connecting the Polihali reservoir to the Katse reservoir.
Other Phase II activities include advance infrastructure (roads, accommodation, power lines and telecommunication) and the implementation of environmental and social mitigation measures.
