The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Pemmy Majodina is deeply concerned about the regrettable reports of non-compliance with the regulations governing effluent discharge by a contractor responsible for the construction of the Polihali transfer tunnel which is part Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase 2 currently under construction in Lesotho.
The Ministry of Water and Sanitation convened a meeting last night, Wednesday, 13 May 2025, with the Republic of South Africa (RSA) delegation in the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission(LHWC) and the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority(TCTA) to receive a full report on the incident that led to the company, Kopano Ke Matla (KKM) being suspended on site by the implementing agent, the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) after several warnings on non-compliance were issued to the contractor for polluting water courses with raw effluent.
The LHDA, through its Engineer, has issued a targeted suspension of works to the Polihali Transfer Tunnel contractor, KKM, due to non-compliance with contractual environmental obligations, specifically regarding wastewater management. The suspension was prompted by persistent failures to meet treatment standards across multiple sites, despite prior warnings and formal Non-Conformance Reports emanating from concerns on the inadequate management and treatment of wastewater and effluent generated during tunnel construction activities.
This measure was implemented to uphold environmental, health, and safety standards on a nationally and regionally significant infrastructure project and did not constitute a project-wide shut down. Contractual enforcement of environmental obligations is standard and necessary on infrastructure projects of this scale to protect the environment, communities and the workers.
As a result, the contractor had to send about 1300 workers home during this suspension as a protective measure, designed to prevent risks that could ultimately endanger the workers themselves and the environment in which they operate.
The contractor was issued with a compliance deadline of 26 May 2025 to provide a remedial plan and a compliance roadmap with clear and measurable milestones and interim controls to address the deficiencies in wastewater treatment works.
The RSA Delegation has assured the Ministry and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) that the suspension will not impact on the completion date of the tunnel project as it was ahead of schedule and that work continues in unaffected work zones, both the Polihali and Katse project zones to minimise broader project delays.
The LHDA whose role is to safeguard the public, the workforce, and the environment through responsible oversight of contractors and the Engineer, continues to ensure that interim containment and treatment measures are in place to avoid further environmental risk while the main upgrades are pursued.
The Ministry has directed the RSA Delegation, TCTA and the DWS to reinforce monitoring of the projects to ensure that there are no more further delays to the project completion.
The LHWP Phase 2 is comprised of construction of an approximately 165m high Concrete Faced Rockfill Dam at Polihali, downstream of the confluence of the Khubelu and Sengu (Orange) Rivers and a 38km long concrete-lined gravity tunnel connecting the Polihali reservoir to the Katse reservoir. Other Phase 2 activities include advance infrastructure such as construction of the Senqu bridge, roads, accommodation, power lines and telecommunication etc.
For more information, contact:
Wisane Mavasa Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za
Ministry Spokesperson, Cornelius Monama
Cell: 083 271 0808
E-mail: monamac@dws.gov.za
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