The Need to Balance Responsible Corporate Conduct and Standards of Good Governance in Conflict Affected Areas; A Case for Kao and Polihali Victims of Human Rights Violations

Abstract

For a longtime, violence has culminated in areas that have been expropriated for developmental purposes. Such acts of violence include amongst others brutalkillings of people, beating of people, their displacement without due compensation etc. The Kimberly Process Civil Society Coalition writes that up to today, brutal killings, torture and sexual violence; continue to occur in certain diamond mines in the African Continent. Moreover some corporate miners are alleged to be harming local community livelihoods as a result of unmitigated environmental damage coming from their operations, including water, air and noise pollution.6 There has been an outcry by the community representatives of the Kao village of human rights violations in their area which culminated in the deaths of two villagers and the displacement of some villagers.7 Due compensations also not been afforded to the affected people. Moreover, the Polihali project has also resulted in a land acquisition in that the land take has affected communities. The land take will also result in the physical and economic displacement of people.8 To this effect the Transformation Resource Centre supported by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary facilitated a dialogue session in Mokhotlong for Polihali affected communities, the Lesotho Highlands Development Project officials, Natural resource cluster and the Government. This dialogue session interrogated the ceaseless concerns of the affected communities regarding compensation, resettlement, pastures, employment opportunities and with great focus on water and sanitation rights amongst others.