Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina will lead a South African delegation to the Kingdom of Lesotho to conduct an oversight visit of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), a critical bi-national infrastructure initiative between the two countries.
The delegation will include Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, as well as Seiso Mohai, Deputy Minister in Lesotho’s Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. The oversight visit is scheduled to take place from 14 to 15 December and will be attended by representatives from the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission and the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA).
The project was initially expected to be completed by 31 March 2025, but the timeline has since been extended to 2029. The extension has been attributed to significant delays stemming from contractor-related challenges, cost escalations and other implementation setbacks.
These delays have substantially increased project costs and raised concerns about long-term water security for Gauteng and surrounding provinces. Despite the challenges, the Department of Water and Sanitation has reaffirmed its commitment to completing the project, citing its strategic importance to both South Africa and Lesotho.
“The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a bi-national infrastructure and flagship project between South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho, and a key priority for the South African government,” the department said. “It involves the construction of a network of tunnels and dams to transfer water from the Orange–Senqu River in the Lesotho Highlands to South Africa.”
Upon completion, the project is expected to significantly boost water transfers to South Africa, increasing supply by an additional 490 million cubic metres per year — from the current 780 million cubic metres to a total of 1.26 billion cubic metres annually through the Integrated Vaal River System.
In addition to the oversight visit, Majodina is also expected to lead high-level consultation meetings aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation between South Africa and Lesotho.
