Moroke Sekoboto
THE Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) has expressed interest in establishing a police station at the unused Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) facilities near the Metolong Dam.
The facilities, previously used by contractors during the dam’s construction, have remained idle since the project’s completion in 2016.
WASCO has since invited various institutions to make use of the infrastructure, citing ongoing vandalism by nearby villagers as a growing concern.
During an inspection tour on Friday, Commissioner of Police, Borotho Matsoso, said the LMPS is eager to occupy some of the facilities to enhance security in the area and protect both the dam and surrounding infrastructure.
He noted that the nearest police station is currently in Mazenod, and establishing a station at Metolong would significantly improve their response to crimes such as livestock theft.
“Our job is to preserve peace, bring stability, and protect people’s property. Having a station here will help us fulfil that mandate. These buildings are unused and require minimal effort to become operational, so we are interested in further engaging with WASCO to establish our presence,” said Advocate Matsoso.
“This dam is our lifeblood — it supplies water to Teyateyaneng, Morija, Roma, and Maseru. Protecting it is a national priority. The area also suffers from frequent livestock theft, and having a station here will enable quicker responses to such incidents. Our presence will ensure the safety of both people and property.”
WASCO Chief Executive Officer, Falla Seboko, welcomed LMPS’s interest, stating that a police station would greatly benefit the company by enhancing security.
He added that other institutions, such as the Centre for Accounting Studies (CAS) and the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC), had also shown interest in using the site for a satellite campus and tourism development, respectively.
“We currently have only three private security guards working in shifts. A police station would provide more robust, consistent security,” Mr Seboko said.
“While we have been in discussions with CAS and LTDC, we are particularly keen on LMPS using the facilities because of the added security benefits.”
Mr Seboko also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which aims for universal and equitable access to clean water by 2030.