Honourable Minister of Natural Resources of Lesotho, Mr Monyane Moleleki
High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Mahlangu
Chairperson of the Trans Caledon Tunnel Agency, Dr Snowy Khoza
Commissioners of the Lesotho Highland Water Project
Distinguished guests
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
Programme director, allow me, first and foremost, to convey my heartiest greetings to you all. It is befitting to express our gratitude to the government and people of the Kingdom of Lesotho for the generous hospitality extended to us, in general and particularly to Minister Moleleki for the warm and gracious welcome. We really feel at home in Lesotho.
It is with a deep sense that I take to this podium to signal a new chapter that takes our countries’ partnership and agreement to a higher gear of cooperation and mutual benefit for our economies and people.
It is instructive to note that we signed the agreement on the implementation of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), only a mere two days after celebrating Women's Day in South Africa in tribute to the gallant heroines of our struggle for freedom who marched to Pretoria in 1956 to protest against the injustices of apartheid. It is equally poignantly to observe that we signed our agreement during the month of August, a month dedicated to highlight not only the struggles but also the empowerment of women in our country, South Africa.
Programme director, I need hardly belabour the linkage and the synergy between water and women. Put simply, without water, there is no life for humanity. Without women, there is absolutely no humanity. Water and women provide life to humanity and it is for that very same reason that we trust that the cooperation between our countries in the water sector should also contribute to the emancipation and empowerment of women in our respective countries, in particular and the entire continent of Africa, in general.
We are gathered here as mandated by our governments and people to formally mark our joint water agreement and to give affect to service delivery by our governments. As we all know better, the purpose of our countries’ cooperation is to strengthen the regional integration by using by using water as a catalyst for socio-economic development as well as to advance economic links with key African partners.
The nature of our cooperation is aimed at mutual development of our countries’ water sectors as a foundation for a modernised and integrated economy. This cooperation embodies the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) principles for development and the spirit of Africa’s Renaissance to wash away poverty and under development.
The implementation of Phase II of the LHWP will consist of a water delivery system to augment the delivery of water to South Africa and a hydropower generation system. The water delivery system comprises of Polihali Reservoir on the Senqu River, a water conveyance tunnel connecting Polihali Reservoir with Katse Reservoir, access roads to the project sites, camps, power transmission lines and administration centres, including social and environmental projects and programmes.
Phase II will also include a pump storage scheme, associated transmission lines and appulent works by utilising the existing Katse Reservoir as the lower reservoir in the Kobong valley, or any other similar scheme.
The signing of this agreement and our gathering today represents the cooperation that we have built together as people and countries. Honourable Minister Moleleki, it has been a great honour and privilege to work with you. I firmly believe that the collective leadership, unity and healthy relations that knitted us together as people which also extended to our devoted officials, has made this momentous milestone possible.
Programme director, allow me, on behalf of the government and the people of South Africa, to express our sincerest appreciation to everyone who was involved in the crafting of the agreement on Phase II of the LHWP. Now is the time for implementation of the agreement! We fervently hope that the implementation of this new agreement will proceed promptly, economically, efficiently, effectively and without any malpractices and wastages. We also trust that our officials and partners will, once more, rise to the challenge.
I thank you.
Source: Department of Water Affairs
Speech by Mrs BEE Molewa, Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs on the occasion of signing of the agreement for the implementation of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) in Maseru, Lesotho
