SA gets water from Lesotho

2008-07-18 17:24

Johannesburg - South Africa received 6400 million cubic metres of water from Lesotho since the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) began in 1998, the Department of water Affairs and Forestry said on Friday.

Spokesperson Linda Page said this volume of water was equivalent to the yield of the Vaal Dam in three consecutive years. In return Lesotho received payments of about R2.4bn.

"In addition Lesotho has also generated electricity at the Muela Hydropower Station with resultant revenue of more than R524m," she said.

Minister of Water Affairs Lindiwe Hendricks would meet with Lesotho's Minister of Natural Resources Monyane Moleleki on Friday.

According to the department the visit included an inspection of the Mohale Dam, centrepiece of Phase 1B of the LHWP, which was inaugurated by President Mbeki and King Letsie III in 2004.

"The meeting at Mohale Dam will focus on the status of Phase One of the LHWP and on the findings of a joint study on possible further phases of the LHWP."

Page said the department had to ensure that enough water was available to meet growing demand in the Vaal River System, which included Gauteng.

"These possible options include the building of another phase of the LHWP and the development of the Thukela Water Project, to transfer water from the upper reaches of the Thukela River across the escarpment to the upper reaches of the Vaal River at the existing Drakensberg pump station," said Page.

- SAPA