Fresh off celebrating 60 years of independence from British colonial rule, Lesotho is calling on neighboring South Africa (SA) to address historical injustices through land restitution and colonial reparations.<\/p>\n
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Speaking following Lesotho\u2019s Diamond Jubilee milestone, Foreign Affairs Minister Limpho Justice Tau asserted that SA holds a moral obligation to compensate the mountain kingdom for historic land dispossession and the exploitation of Basotho labor.<\/p>\n
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Tau highlighted that 19th-century colonial expansion severed Lesotho from more than three times its original territorial size, including vast fertile tracts of the modern-day Free State province, severely constraining the nation\u2019s agricultural self-sufficiency. Citing the African Union\u2019s recent adoption of the African Governance Architecture Declaration on colonial reparations, Lesotho\u2019s diplomatic leadership is pressing SA for bilateral negotiations to address the lasting socio-economic legacy of apartheid-era military incursions, low-wage migrant mining exploitation, and historical boundary definitions.<\/p>\n
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Beyond territorial claims, Lesotho is leveraging its vast natural water resources as a strategic regional asset. With annual water transfers already generating nearly R5 billion ($286 million) in revenue, the kingdom is positioning itself as a clean energy and water security hub for Southern Africa.<\/p>\n
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The nation is currently finalising the Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer Project, which will construct a 700-kilometer pipeline through SA to supply Gabarone, alongside expanding domestic hydropower capacity to achieve 100% nationwide electricity access by 2030.<\/p>\n
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