Plans for new fuel reserve depot afoot

‘MATHATO SEBOKA

MASERU – Capacity and the location of the planned national fuel reserve facility has raised question about its safety from some sections of society, especially those who witnessed the vulnerability and eventual bombing of the first such facility at the Maseru Industrial Area in the early 1980s. 

The country’s first fuel reserve facility was established in during the South African apartheid era, to support continuous provision of fuel to citizen should a state of conflict arise between Lesotho and South Africa hampering importation of fuel.

Reserved fuel, however, failed to sustain supply during the 1986 border blockade by the South African apartheid regime that led to the toppling of the Basotho National Party-led administration of the late Chief Leabua Jonathan.

Fuel supply did not last even a month, leading to questions around its capacity and ability to hold different grades of petrol.

The facility was further criticized for its location close the border and the Maseru port of entry, the facility was built around 200 to 300 metres from the border – which rendered it prone to foreign acts of sabotage attacks, one being an attack by the South African-backed Lesotho Liberation Army that claimed the life of one person and the arrest of another who died later in police detention.

According to the deputy director in the Ministry of Energy, Mokhethi Seitlheko, a new a consultant has been engaged to undertake the feasibility study for the construction of a new strategic fuel reserve and regional depots.

He, however, revealed that the study identified three sites in the central, Northern and Southern regions of the country, but the central and Northern sites were rejected for their being too close to main public roads. The Southern site was out for being close to the border.

“Currently the consultant has been engaged to undertake the feasibility study for the new strategic fuel reserve facility site that will include the cost of the facility. The decision was to focus on the strategic fuel reserve facility and the other sites will be considered in the later stage,” Seitlheko said.

The storage capacity of the new fuel reserve facility is envisaged to hold 10.948m3 petrol, 8.190m3 of diesel and 2.767m3 of illuminating paraffin as the main products that are used in the country.

A company that will construct and that which will manage operation at the depot will be determined once relevant tender processes ate complete. Management of the reserve will depend on the model that will be used.

Seitlheko outlined that the security aspect of the fuel reserve facility will remain the responsibility of the government under the ministry responsible for national security.

According to the deputy director, commencement of construction of the reserve will depend on the completion of the feasibility study that is currently going on, and other related studies that have to be undertaken.

He noted also that the required Environmental and Social Impact Assessment has been undertaken and approved by the government ministry responsible for environment “which means that all the environmental issues were taken care of.”

Asked for reasons Maqhaka has been identified for construction of the depot despite its close proximity to the Lesotho/South Africa border, and in light of possible foreign sabotage, Seitlheko said that all the key stakeholders were included on the reselection of the Central, Northern and Southern sites.

“The Ministry was advised to move the sites away from the road and cancel the southern depot as was close to the border,” he said.

He added that presently there is no trained personnel to work at the reserve facility.

With these developments, consultant and activist, Lesiamo Ramahala Molapo, expressed concern about the location of the current reserve facility. He said it is also very close to the border with South Africa, which is about 10 to 20 metres away.

He said the facility should have been put remoter than where it is going to be located.

“The location of the facility is not good in terms of environment, it is next to the fields should there be a leakage, surrounding soil is going to be contaminated.”

He said this while also having faulted the location of the first facility, which he said was placed around the industrial areas, which was very risky.