By 
Water and Sanitation Minister, Ms Pemmy Majodina together with Deputy Minister Mr David Mahlobo will undertake an oversight inspection at the maintenance work currently underway at the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) tunnel in Clarens, Free State, on Saturday, 01 February 2025.
They will be accompanied by Deputy Minister of Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr Seiso Mohai, Free State Premier Ms Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, and Free State MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Saki Mokoena.
The Executive Mayors of Thabo Mofutsanyana and Fezile Dabi District Municipalities and of Dihlabeng, Setsoto, Mafube, Mantsopa and Nketoane Local Municipalities will also take part at the oversight inspection of the tunnel led by the Minister.
The maintenance and the refurbishment of the 37 kilometres Lesotho Highlands Water Tunnel is still ongoing since its closure on 31 October 2024, and the repair work is on schedule until the tunnel is reopened again at the end of March this year. Maintenance work on the South African side is undertaken by Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA).
Lesotho Highlands Development Agency (LHDA) carries out the tunnel maintenance work in Lesotho, focusing on the transfer tunnels at the Muela Hydro power station. Although there is a slight delay on the maintenance work undertaken by LHDA, the agency is working on a catch-up plan to ensure that they are back on track to ensure that the tunnel can be opened by the end of March 2025, as per the schedule.
