The residents, drawn from 40 villages and organised under the Thwake Dam Blasting-Affected Community Committee, say they have experienced severe dust, noise, vibrations and structural damage since blasting began.
In a press statement dated August 25, the residents said they had written to the African Development Bank and relevant government authorities seeking investigations and action over their grievances.
“We are not against Thwake Dam. We are not against development. We support development that benefits our region and our country. But development must respect the people living around projects,” they said.
They alleged that some homes located close to blasting sites were left out of damage assessments, while properties farther from the affected areas were included.
The residents are also questioning the process used to identify and assess affected properties, citing what they described as conflicting accounts over instructions allegedly issued to local chiefs by project liaison officers.
They have called for an independent investigation into the coordination and authorisation of the assessment exercise.
The community further raised concerns over what it termed incomplete damage valuations and unclear compensation calculations.
According to the residents, some cases involved partial recording of damage, while payments were allegedly described interchangeably as Corporate Social Responsibility support and compensation in lieu of repairs.
The community is now calling on the African Development Bank, the project contractor and relevant government ministries to independently review the complaints, reassess properties that may have been omitted and release complete valuation documents.
The residents also want authorities to engage directly with affected communities and have urged civil society organisations and the media to support efforts to ensure accountability.
The residents said they support the development objectives of the Thwake Multipurpose Dam but want the project to be implemented in a manner that fairly addresses the concerns of communities living near the construction site.
They warned that they would pursue lawful civic action if their grievances remain unresolved.
“If our grievances are not listened to and adddressed through a fair and transparemt process, we will pursue further peaceful and lawful civic action, including peaceful picketing and demostrations, to ensure that our voices are heard,” they warned.
