Moroke Sekoboto
THE government of Lesotho is close to negotiating a radical overhaul of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) Treaty under which the country supplies water to South Africa, particularly to oil the industrial hub of Gauteng.
Lesotho wants the Treaty reviewed in almost every aspect, especially to secure increased benefits from the scheme to boost irrigation to grow the water source country’s agriculture sector.
Speaking during a cabinet briefing at LNBS studios in Maseru yesterday, Minister of Public Works and Transport, Matjato Moteane, said preparations for the review were at an advanced stage, with both countries ready to form negotiation teams.
According to Mr Moteane, such a review should have been negotiated 39 years ago.
Mr Moteane stressed that Lesotho should be using the project to improve its agriculture through irrigation, not only for crops, but also for fisheries and other related projects.
“Currently, the water is collected in the highlands, transferred through tunnels, and exits Lesotho very quickly, with little being channelled to areas where agriculture can be improved,” he said.
He also raised concerns about delays in compensating people displaced by LHWP developments.
“That is an area of particular interest. Fair compensation for those affected is vital, yet there have been reports of delays. Another key issue is the overall governance of the project.”
Mr Moteane further emphasised the need to review the structural governance of the bodies responsible for executing the project.
“There is a role for both countries — Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) for Lesotho, Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority for South Africa, and the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission (LHWC) in between. We need to review governance structures to simplify implementation and ensure accountability.
“It is no longer a secret that there are significant delays in delivering Phase II of the LHWP, and some of those issues are embedded in the way the treaty is structured. We must simplify it to make our work easier.”
The Matekane administration began engaging with South Africa early last year and has now reached the stage where formal negotiations could commence, he said.
The LHWP Treaty was signed on 24 October 1986 between Lesotho’s then-military junta, led by Major-General Metsing Lekhanya, and South Africa’s apartheid regime.
Under the treaty, construction began on Katse and ’Muela dams, which were completed in 1998 under Phase 1A of the LHWP, followed by the construction of Mohale Dam under Phase 1B. The dams supply water to Gauteng, South Africa, which has a high demand for the precious natural resource.
At inception, the project was designed to be implemented in four phases over 30 years, ultimately transferring about 70 cubic metres of water per second to South Africa, while generating hydroelectricity for Lesotho. In return, Lesotho receives monthly royalties for the water supplied.
Feasibility studies for Phase II of the LHWP began in October 2005 and were completed in May 2008.
An agreement to construct the Polihali Dam in Mokhotlong under Phase II was signed in August 2011, with construction of the dam beginning in May 2023.
The dam will create a reservoir on the Senqu and Khubelu rivers with a surface area of 5,053 hectares and a full supply storage capacity of 2,325 million cubic metres. The infrastructure will include a spillway, a compensation outlet structure, and a small hydropower station.
The Lesotho government successfully negotiated the review and recalculation of the water royalties on 13 March 2024, which increased from M130 million to M298 million monthly for transferring water to South Africa.
Yesterday, Mr Moteane explained that the Treaty provides for the establishment, implementation, operation, and maintenance of the project, whose purpose is to enhance the use of the Senqu/Orange River waters by storing, regulating, diverting, and controlling them to deliver specified quantities to South Africa’s designated outlet point while also generating hydroelectricity for Lesotho.
“As I indicated, the review is long overdue. In fact, it should have been done 39 years ago. The Treaty should be reviewed in almost every aspect, but of particular importance to Lesotho and the government is increasing the benefits we derive from the scheme to boost irrigation potential,” he said.
Mr Moteane stressed that Lesotho should be using the project to improve its fragile economy.
Regarded as the “water tower” of the sub-region, neighbours eye the Mountain Kingdom for this infinite natural resource.
Botswana’s President Duma Boko visited Lesotho from 15 to 18 July to enhance bilateral relations between the two nations.
Among the objectives of his visit, prospecting for a planned water deal which will see Lesotho exporting water to the arid southern African nation was prominent on his agenda.
The groundbreaking water transfer project between Lesotho and Botswana is poised to address severe water scarcity in the region, while also stimulating economic growth and poverty eradication.
The proposed dam on the Makhaleng River will transfer 150 million cubic metres of water per annum to Botswana, with Lesotho and South Africa sharing 50 cubic metres equally.
