APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) Lesotho and South Africa on Tuesday launched the next phase of a project under which the two neighbours have shared water since the early 2000s – and is seen as a timely development at a time Pretoria is facing serious water challenges.
The second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project was jointly launched by King Letsie III of Lesotho, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Lesotho Prime Minister Samuel Matekane during a ceremony at Polihali Dam in Lesotho.
The project is a partnership between South Africa and Lesotho dating back to a treaty agreed upon by the two governments to supply water to the Vaal River System, which would ensure water security for Gauteng, Free State, Northern Cape and North West provinces.
The binational infrastructure project 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, and to use the water delivery system to provide hydro-electric power to the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Phase 1 of the project was completed in 2003.
The water transfer component of Phase 2 comprises a 165-metre high concrete-faced rock-fill dam at Polihali, downstream of the confluence of the Khubelu and Senqu (Orange) Rivers.
This development would also feature a 38-kilometre, concrete-lined gravity tunnel connecting the Polihali reservoir to Katse Reservoir in South Africa.
Ramaphosa described the Lesotho Highlands Water Project as “the biggest infrastructure investment outside South African borders in which South Africa has participated.”
“It is a beacon of hope, a symbol of progress, a symbol of international cooperation, and a testament to the strength of bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa,” Ramaphosa said.
He added: “This project is a good example of public-private collaboration to build key public infrastructure.”
He revealed that the bulk of the approximately R40 billion (about US$2.1 billion) in capital required for phase two of the project would be raised in South Africa’s financial markets.
Completion of the phase would see more than 400 million cubic meters of water flowing every year from the upper reaches of the Senqu River in Lesotho through the existing conveyance infrastructure to the Vaal Dam in South Africa.
The launch of the new phase comes at a time when South Africa’s municipalities are facing water shortages.
JN/APA