Shephard Ts'olo Lesofe secretly takes his sheep down to drink from the controversial Katse dam in Lesotho, which only provides water to South Africa
For farmer Mohlakoane Molise, the view of the enormous Katse dam from his smallholding high in the mountains of Lesotho taunts him daily.
His country is suffering through its
worst drought in 35 years, but the vast and vital water reserves remain out of reach, destined instead for export to neighbouring South Africa."I am very angry about that water, because it could benefit us, we could use it to water the crops when there is a drought. But that's not happening," the 65-year-old widower told AFP.
Kneeling in front of his round, thatch-roofed hut, he sorted through his maize, examining each grain, one-by-one.
The operation didn't take long. His total annual harvest filled just two large sacks, in place of the usual dozen.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the 2016 harvest for Lesotho's primary crop maize is estimated at 25,000 tonnes,
a dramatic drop from last year's 78,000-tonne haul.Instead, the mountainous kingdom - - entirely landlocked by South Africa - -
must import food from its larger neighbour.
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