GROUNDUP : Judge tells parties in Lesotho water project battle to settle out of court
The Seinoli Trust had asked the high court to compel the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority to release data on communities affected by the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
A Lesotho water project dispute has been told to settle out of court by a judge. The Seinoli Trust, representing affected communities, sought to compel the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) to release data on the project's impact on nearby communities. The LHDA refused to share the data, citing intellectual property rights and data protection laws.
Judge Molefi Makara gave the parties until November 17 to negotiate an agreement. Seinoli's executive director, Reitumetse Nkoti-Mabula, argued that the withheld data was crucial to determining whether the communities had been adequately compensated and whether the LHDA had met its obligations. The LHDA's chief executive, Tente Tente, maintained that the refusal complied with data protection laws and the LHDA's own policies.
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