Seithati Motšoeneng
THE Water and Sewage Company (WASCO) is rolling out a multi-layered drought response in Mafeteng, combining emergency water supplies with boreholes and the dredging of Rasebale Dam to improve the district’s long-term water security.
The plan is designed to prevent a repeat of the severe water shortages experienced in previous droughts, particularly in 2015 and 2024, when communities struggled to access water.
WASCO Project manager, Lehlohonolo Ncheke, who is leading the programme, said the intervention would be implemented in three phases, beginning with the provision of water tanks to supplement supplies when dam levels fall.
“Immediate relief with 29 tanks, intended to increase supply should the dams run out like they did in 2015 and 2024,” Mr Ncheke said.
The second phase will involve drilling boreholes to provide alternative water sources should existing supplies run dry.
“Boreholes as the second level should water run out,” he said.
The third and most significant intervention is the dredging of Rasebale Dam to remove accumulated sand and improve its water storage capacity.
However, the project was said to present a major engineering challenge, as dredging a large dam is a first for the utility.
WASCO chief executive officer, Lebohang Peke Makara, described the undertaking as a defining moment for the company’s engineering capabilities.
“It is a profound moment for our engineering capacity at WASCO on how we are going to dredge the dam as the first project of its type,” Mr Makara said.
He said Rasebale Dam had experienced water collection problems since 2012, as population growth increased demand for water. The situation deteriorated further in December 2024 when the dam accumulated large quantities of sand.
Mr Makara said delays in implementing interventions had increased the cost of addressing the problem, calling for a shift from prolonged planning to timely execution.
“We need to transform from having to discuss plans and take time to deliver, ending up with high costs of having to work on a completely constructed project like this of Rasebale,” he said.
Natural Resources Minister, Mohlomi Moleko, said the dredging project fulfilled a commitment made by Prime Minister Sam Matekane in 2024, when Mafeteng communities were grappling with severe drought.
“This project is proof of the government’s commitment to continue serving its people relentlessly,” Mr Moleko said.
He said the intervention also demonstrated the government’s commitment to maintaining water infrastructure beyond its initial construction, ensuring that dams remained functional and capable of meeting communities’ needs.
However, traditional leaders have warned that dredging alone will not solve the problem if measures are not taken to control erosion in the dam’s catchment area.
Chief of Tšane Tala, Fako Leshoro Seiso, said sand would continue accumulating if the underlying causes were not addressed.
“If the dam is left like that after dredging, they will continue to dredge unless they ensure that they make a catchment that will help in the control of erosion,” Chief Seiso said.
Community concerns have also emerged over the identification of people affected by the project and the distribution of benefits.
Mafeteng Urban Council representative Teboho Thakanyane said residents had become disillusioned after what he described as a change in the process of identifying affected households.
“When this project resumed, the consultant had asked for people who had been affected by the project, but that quickly changed to asking for lists from the council, and the communities have since been offended,” Mr Thakanyane said.
He said the dissatisfaction led some residents to boycott the project’s official launch because they felt its benefits were being directed towards urban residents at the expense of those whose fields had been affected.
“Deciding not to attend the launch as they feel the project is for people from town. This has left a lot of people aggrieved as they say that their fields have been used for the project, though they are not benefiting,” he said.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament Montoeli Mosoetsa questioned whether the provision of water tanks and boreholes would adequately address the needs of communities in remote villages.
He said the measures were temporary and that people living far from Mafeteng town continued to struggle to access water, with their livestock also affected.
“The issue of water tankers and boreholes are temporary measures, as those dams are made in town and people in some villages continue to suffer with their animals,” Mr Mosoetsa said.
He said the water crises experienced in previous years should have prompted more decisive and sustainable interventions to improve access to water across the district.
“What happened in 2015 and 2021 were clear indications that harsh measures need to be taken to intervene in the issue of water accessibility in Mafeteng,” he said.
Mr Mosoetsa said residents had previously been forced to travel several kilometres to neighbouring villages to obtain drinking water, while their livestock continued to suffer from shortages.
The three-pronged intervention is expected to provide immediate relief while addressing some of the infrastructure challenges behind Mafeteng’s recurring water shortages. However, concerns over catchment protection, equitable community benefits and access to water in remote villages highlight the need for a broader approach to securing water supplies across the district.