Rethabile Pitso
AT least 8900 people are set to benefit from the recently launched Lekokoaneng Water Supply Project in the Berea District, Prime Minister Sam Matekane has revealed.
The M40 million project, which was initially planned to supply water to 23 villages, was later expanded to include three additional villages of Maqhaka, Ha Souro, and Shano-Leholo.
Mr Matekane made the announcement during his keynote address at the handover ceremony on Friday.
He said his government had worked tirelessly to ensure the project’s completion, overcoming numerous challenges that had delayed progress before his administration took office.
“If you do not take care of this facility, choosing instead to vandalise it, those actions will hinder government from progressing to other worthy projects,” Mr Matekane warned, urging the community to protect the infrastructure.
He explained that the project forms part of the broader Lesotho Lowlands Water Supply Scheme, which aims to provide clean water and sanitation facilities across the country to improve livelihoods.
“By providing access to clean water, we seek to improve agricultural activities and overall health, while curbing the spread of water-borne diseases prevalent in unclean drinking water.”
He also said Phase II of the project will soon begin in Mohale’s Hoek and Mafeteng Districts, while Phase III has already commenced in Butha-Buthe.
Minister of Natural Resources, Mohlomi Moleko, reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to ensuring that all households in Lesotho have access to water and electricity. He said this would be achieved through three major projects currently underway — the Lesotho Lowlands Water Project, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and the Lesotho–Botswana Water Transfer Scheme.
Mr Moleko urged Basotho to support water projects that extend beyond Lesotho’s borders, explaining that such initiatives generate significant income for national development.
“The Lesotho–Botswana Water Transfer Scheme, piloted through the Makhaleng River, will enable Lesotho to supply water to Botswana
“I have noticed that Basotho tend to only support projects that supply water locally. But these larger initiatives are the ones that generate the income we need to fund domestic developments,” Mr Moleko said.
He cited the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which supplies water to South Africa, as an example of a profitable venture.
“Projects like the Lesotho Highlands generate about M5 billion annually and a further M10 billion for road and bridge infrastructure, power lines, and other developments,” he said.
“Even the Polihali Hotel was built using this revenue. Altogether, we earn around R15 billion per year from one project alone.”
Mr Moleko added that by 2030, with sustainable income from water exports to both South Africa and Botswana, Lesotho could be in a position to offer free water and electricity to its citizens.
“By 2030, when the country’s water sales generate steady income, I will propose to Prime Minister Matekane—who I believe will still be in charge then—to provide Basotho with free electricity and water,” he said.
Lesotho Lowlands Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project Coordinator, Thabiso Tšasane, said the implementation team achieved several milestones within record time.
“We began in 2024 by installing a 13-kilometre pipeline from Maseru to Teyateyaneng. We also built a one-million-litre water tank and another tank at Ha Mokhele, Lekokoaneng, with a capacity of 100 million litres.
“It is this second tank that will supply water to the beneficiary villages.”
Mr Tšasane added that after the contractor undercharged, the remaining funds were used to construct two additional tanks — one holding 62,000 litres and another 25,000 litres — to extend the project to three more villages: Ha Rapholo, Ha Khephola, and Ha Kubere.
“The decision to include these villages was also aimed at maintaining peace, as we feared vandalism from communities that might have felt excluded,” he said.