By The Minister for the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Ms Pemmy Majodina, flanked by her Deputy Ministers Mr David Mahlobo and Mr Sello Seitlholo is set to reopen the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Tunnel in Clarens, Free State today, Sunday, 25 May 2025.
Business, alongside with members of the community will finally breathe a sigh of relief as the reopening of the water tunnel will eradicate their fears of running out of water and not being able to conduct business as per usual. Hotels in particular, left messages for their guests in their respective rooms to apologies for the inconvenience of limited water supply.
The Tunnel was closed for its scheduled maintenance. The 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.
According to the Department, 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 the water arrived at the Ash River Outfall Works in South Africa on 22 May 2025.
Minister Majodina will be joined by political heads in the province including the Free State Premier Ms MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, the MEC for CoGTA Mr Saki Mokoena and Executive Mayors of different municipalities who will witness the reopening of the LHWP.
