Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodina, together with Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Sello Seitlholo, led a delegation of members of the media at the Ash River Outfall of Lesotho Highlands Water Project in Clarens, Free State to witness the flow of water through the LHWP tunnel system following the completion of the maintenance work since its closure last year in October.
The Minister was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Seiso Mohai, Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae and Free State MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Teboho Mokoena, RSA Chief Delegate to the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission, Mr Teboho Nkhahle, as well as the Executive Mayors of Dihlabeng, Nketoana, Mafube and Mantsopa.
The joint maintenance operation was undertaken by Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) on a Delivery Tunnel North within South Africa, and the Lesotho Highlands Development Agency (LHDA) on the Transfer and Delivery South Tunnels in Lesotho. Minister Majodina has commended the completion of the maintenance work which was scheduled to reopen in March this year, but due to maintenance work delays experienced in the Delivery Tunnel South on the side of Lesotho, the closure was extended to allow the maintenance work to be completed.
In South Africa, the maintenance work was on schedule and was finalised on 19 March 2025. “We are satisfied that the maintenance work has been completed despite the delays experienced. The tunnel was finally refilled with water from Lesotho and water has now reached the country. We are here to witness the flow of water which will supply more than 400 million cubic meters of water annually to the Vaal Dam. The water will serve Free State and Gauteng provinces. We must also highlight that during the tunnel closure, the municipalities that rely mainly on water supply from the tunnel were not severely affected as there were other contingency plans that were made to ensure that the communities continue to have water,” said Minister Majodina.
Minister Majodina has also indicated that Phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Project, which entails the construction of Polihali Dam in Lesotho will be expedited as it also experienced delays.
“In April this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa led South African delegation on the Bi-National Commission between South Africa and Lesotho and one of the issues discussed was the expedition of LHWP Phase 2 that has been marred by delays. It was agreed that the acceleration plan was to be developed by the contractors on site to ensure that the project is completed. We cannot continue to postpone the completion of the project,” she added.
Free State Premier, Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae has also acknowledged the collaboration of the Ministry of Water and Sanitation and the Free State provincial government to ensure sustainable water supply to the affected municipalities during the tunnel closure.
“The teamwork demonstrated between on all spheres of government is commendable, despite the challenges experienced during the maintenance work. The municipalities affected by the tunnel closure were prioritised and interventions from the Department of Water and Sanitation ensured that there were no water supply challenges. It is therefore fulfilling to be here today and witness the flow of water from the tunnel,” she said.
Enquiries:
Wisane Mavasa
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za
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