Political Pressure on Finance Ministry Sparks Concern Over Lesotho’s Infrastructure Project Standards

Mounting concerns have emerged over the quality and compliance of infrastructure projects in Lesotho, following explosive revelations made before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this week. Officials from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning disclosed that they have been subjected to intense political pressure to approve major development projects — including the Ramarothole Solar Plant — without following standard procedures or meeting essential regulatory requirements.

Director of Project Cycle Management, Mothobi Letooane, stunned the PAC on Wednesday when he admitted that the Ramarothole Solar Plant was greenlit and funded without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) — a basic prerequisite for any large-scale infrastructure project.

Letooane stated that while the ministry’s role is to provide advisory support and secure funding for government initiatives, undue political influence had forced officials to approve projects that fell short of legal and environmental compliance.

He was responding to questions from PAC member Dr Tšeliso Moroke, who queried why the solar plant — a multi-billion maloti project — proceeded without the requisite EIA from the Ministry of Energy.

The project, financed by a M1.3 billion soft loan from EXIM Bank of China and an additional M220 million from the Government of Lesotho, was officially launched in June 2023. However, the site in Ha-Ramarothole, Mafeteng, is now facing severe environmental degradation, including soil erosion threatening the foundations of solar panels and perimeter fencing.

Letooane confirmed that the EIA was skipped due to urgency. “To be honest, the EIA for Phase I of the project was not done, and this has resulted in severe environmental challenges,” he said. “We asked the Ministry of Energy to meet the required standards before we could appraise the project, but we were placed under immense pressure to approve it urgently.”

The consequences of the rushed approval are already being felt. The Ministry of Energy has now requested an additional M26 million to repair damage caused by soil erosion — a cost that could have been avoided with proper planning.

Dr Moroke voiced his alarm, stating that the Ramarothole case is not an isolated incident. “There is a list of projects which the Ministry of Finance has approved and sourced funding for, without them meeting requirements,” he said. “These lead to sub-standard work and eventually cost this country millions more to fix.”

Letooane echoed these concerns, revealing that other infrastructure projects — including bridges — had also been pushed through without designs or EIA protocols. “We find ourselves trapped under political vices and a system where decisions are made above us,” he told the committee.

When pressed to name those responsible for the pressure, Ministry officials requested to disclose names only in camera, citing fears of political retaliation.

The controversy has ignited fresh calls for transparency, accountability, and a depoliticised public service. As a response to the ongoing issues at the Ramarothole site, the Lesotho Generation Company (LEGCO) and environmental initiative ReNoka have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to stabilise the area. With help from local communities, the partnership aims to reduce water runoff, mitigate gully formation, and protect the solar infrastructure from further degradation.

Despite these remedial efforts, experts warn that unless political interference is curtailed and compliance mechanisms are enforced, the cycle of poor planning and costly repairs could continue to drain public resources and undermine Lesotho’s infrastructure ambitions.