In his State of the Nation Address in February 2021, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the establishment of a National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency would be accelerated. It has been many years in the making.
The agency will place, under a single management, the development and operation of the systems that are crucial for the country’s water resource security. As well as building new water resource infrastructure, it will operate the existing dams and main transmission canals and pipelines that are currently run by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
The agency will also develop and operate specialist infrastructure like that which treats acid mine drainage. These functions are currently divided between the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority.
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Water project agreement up for review
Bereng Mpaki
PREPARATIONS are underway for the review of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) treaty signed between Lesotho and South Africa in the 1980s to ensure Basotho achieve maximum possible benefits from the multi-billion maloti project, Minister of Finance Thabo Sophonea has said.
Mr Sophonea said this in his 2021/22 budget speech last week. He emphasized the review was meant to improve the project’s benefits for Basotho.
While the first phase of the multi-billion maloti project has significantly improved Lesotho’s economic prospects, the project has however, been criticised for failing to reduce poverty among citizens affected by its existence.
Lesotho Water Commission delegate faces axe
Pascalinah Kabi
LESOTHO’s chief delegate to the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission (LHWC), Mzamo Lephoma, has been asked to “show cause” why he should not be fired over a host of issues revolving around his competency levels.
These include allegations that he has failed to compile and submit monthly performance reports of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) to the government, has caused the late payment of salaries for employees, failed to attend a key budget meeting and has misled his line minister on a number of issues. Mr Lephoma is essentially accused of making a fool out of Water Minister Nkaku Kabi by making him officiate at a dysfunctional water project, among other things. He is also accused of misleading both Mr Kabi and his Public Works colleague, Lebohang Monaheng, over the construction of a gravel road in Ha-Rapokolana, Maseru. The road has not been built despite allegations Mr Lephoma had promised the ministe