Frankfort

The South African government says it is confident that the maintenance work at the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) tunnel in Clarens, in the Free State, will be completed within its scheduled six-month timeframe. 

Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodina, and Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo, conducted an oversight visit to the Ash River Outfall in Clarens over the weekend to assess the progress of the maintenance of the LHWP tunnel. 

The Minister and Deputy Minister were joined by Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Deputy Minister, Seiso Mohai; Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha Mathae; Free State Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Saki Mokoena, and the Executive Mayor of Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality, Conny Msibi.

The maintenance and refurbishment of the 37-kilometre water tunnel has been ongoing since its closure on 31 October 2024. Repair work on the South African side is being carried out by the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), while the Lesotho Highlands Development Agency (LHDA) oversees the maintenance work on the Lesotho side, focusing on the transfer tunnels at the Muela Hydro power station.

The repair work included mechanical, electrical, civil, and general works, as well as the repair of waterway steel lining to protect tunnel corrosion. The primary construction work currently underway on the South African side is the painting of the tunnel’s inner side.

While progress has been steady on the South African side, Majodina noted a slight delay in the maintenance work undertaken by LHDA. 

However, their work indicates that they are on track to complete the work by 28 March 2025.

Majodina expressed satisfaction with the progress on the South African side, acknowledging the challenges faced by their counterparts in Lesotho, but reaffirming their commitment to meet the 31 March deadline.

“I am satisfied that the maintenance work has advanced very well on the South African side, and I know that our counterparts in Lesotho are doing everything they can to ensure that we meet the deadline set for 31 March. We know that the contractors here appointed by TCTA to conduct the maintenance work are within the schedule.

“They have done an exceptional job even in difficult situations of rain and mist, which interfered with their work. However, they have pulled through and I would like to extent my gratitude to the work that they have done up to date,” Majodina said.

The Minister also visited the Clarens Water Treatment Works, which is undergoing an upgrade to increase its capacity from 1 to 4 megalitres of water per day. The upgrade will ensure a consistent water supply to Clarens and surrounding areas.

The supply of raw water from Townlands storage dam in Dihlabeng Municipality, which abstracts water from the Little Caledon River (a tributary to Caledon River) and is filled with water from the LHWP tunnel.

However, the dam levels have deteriorated due to the tunnel closure and exacerbated by a high-water demand over the festive season.

However, the Department of Water and Sanitation, through its Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG), has availed funds for the refurbishment of boreholes to the local municipalities of Dihlabeng and Mafube and Nketoana, to ensure consistent supply of water to the high lying areas of Kgubetswana (Clarens), Mamafubedu (Petrus Steyn), Petsana (Reitz), and Namahadi (Frankfort). The boreholes ensured that there is sustainable water supply to the communities. – SAnews.gov.za