Minister Majodina Urges Free State Municipalities To Prepare For Lesotho Water Project Shutdown

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina urged municipalities in the Free State to speed up plans to ensure water supply during the upcoming shutdown of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) tunnel, which is scheduled from Oct. 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.

The minister met with the Executive Mayors of Thabo Mofutsanyana and Fezile Dabi District Municipalities in Bethlehem over the weekend to discuss the situation.

During the meeting, Majodina was accompanied by Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, Deputy Minister of Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Seiso Mohai and Free State MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Saki Mokoena.

"It is therefore important for municipalities to ensure that water security measures are maintained and various water enforcements mechanisms like water restrictions are applied by the municipalities," Majodina said, noting that during the maintenance there will be no water supply from Lesotho to South Africa.

She added, "Although some municipalities are still lagging behind in terms of their readiness, we as the department, are giving them the support that they need," SA News reported.

The Lesotho Highlands Development Agency (LHDA), which operates and maintains the Lesotho section of the LHWP tunnel system, and the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) will together carry out this six-month-long shutdown.

The tunnel system needs inspections and repairs every five years to maintain its safety and reliability. During the shutdown, 700 million cubic meters of water will be transferred in 2024, creating a shortfall of 80 million cubic meters from the usual annual transfer.

To address this, the Department of Water and Sanitation has launched relief measures for municipalities along the Caledon, Wilge, Vaal and Rhenoster Rivers.

The measures include upgrading water treatment plants, improving raw water pumps, upgrading water intake systems, building new reservoirs, and developing groundwater sources by drilling and setting up boreholes.

Majodina pointed out that while these projects are in progress, some municipalities are falling behind schedule.

She added that the Department of Water and Sanitation will step in to help these municipalities complete the projects, which are crucial for maintaining a steady water supply during the tunnel shutdown.

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a new law to help South Africa expand its bulk water infrastructure and improve existing water resources to ensure water security for the next decade.