Minister Pemmy Majodina invites media to witness reopening of Lesotho Highlands Water Project Tunnel, 25 May

Members of the media are invited to join Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, together with Deputy Ministers, David Mahlobo and Sello Seitlholo to witness the reopening of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) tunnel in Clarens, Free State on Sunday, 25 May 2025.

LHWP tunnel system was closed on 1 October 2024 for a period of six months for a joint maintenance operation undertaken by Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) on a Delivery Tunnel North within South Africa, and the Lesotho Highlands Development Agency (LHDA) on the Transfer and Delivery South Tunnels in Lesotho.

The tunnel was scheduled to reopen in March this year, but due to maintenance work delays experienced in the Delivery Tunnel South on the side of Lesotho, the closure was extended to allow the maintenance work to be completed. In South Africa, the maintenance work was on schedule and was finalised on 19 March 2025.

The maintenance work has now been completed and the process of refilling the tunnels with water in Lesotho has resumed and water is expected to arrive at the Ash River Outfall Works in South Africa on 22 May 2025.

Minister Majodina will lead a delegation to the reopening of the tunnel systems and the details are as follows:

Date:    Sunday, 25 May 2025
Time:    10:00
Venue:    Ash River Outfall Works, Clarens - Free State

Interested members of the media in Gauteng and Free State Provinces will be provided with transport and accommodation for two nights (Only 20 spaces for Gauteng and 10 for Free State are available for transport and accommodation). Confirmations of attendance should be submitted by 16 May 2025 at 12h00.

For media confirmations in Gauteng province, contact Sanku Tsunke on 066 299 2915/ tsunkes@dws.gov.za. For the confirmations in the Free State, please contact Larry Crisp on 082 554 7271/ crispl@dws.gov.za

For more information, contact:

 Wisane Mavasa Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation 
Cell: 060 561 8935 
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za