LLWDP signs M700m deal for water supply.

RETHABILE MOHONO

MASERU – The Lesotho Lowlands Water Development Project (LLWDP) has signed three contracts worth more than M700 million to supply clean water to the villages of Khanyane, Maputsoe, Tsikoane, Ha Lesiamo, and Mpharane in the Leribe district. According to a press release from the Ministry of Water Affairs, UNIK Construction Company will focus on building transmission mains, pumping stations, and reservoirs in Maputsoe throughout the project’s implementation.

Qingjian Group, on the other hand, will be in charge of building a distribution network for Tsikoane, Maputsoe, and Mpharane. The LLWDP-II, a government initiative implemented through the Ministry of Water, is the brainchild of the Lesotho Lowlands Water Supply Scheme.

The LLWDP-II contains two prioritised packages: Zones 2 and 3 in the Hlotse-Maputsoe area and Zones 6 and 7 in Mohale’s Hoek and Mafeteng, respectively. The project is financed by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, in partnership with the European Union (EU).

LLWDP-II is a project that was undertaken by the Lesotho government about 22 years ago, equivalent to the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. With the majority of Basotho resettled on the western side of the country, which is in the lowlands, there is vast arable land. The phase II project is therefore set to serve water from Butha Buthe in the north to Quthing in the south, covering all the lowland districts of Lesotho.

By the year 2045, two million Basotho are expected to benefit from this project. Phase 1, known as the Metolong project, serves Berea and surrounding areas. Phase II is determined by the availability of funds, thereby prioritising certain areas according to the levels of desperation.

However, the Phase II projects have been selected and, in the north, the project is preparing to build water infrastructure that will serve Leribe, Hlotse, and Maputsoe. This is purely driven by the garment manufacturing industry, where in Lesotho garments are only produced and not washed. Due to inadequate water supply, the finished textile products are taken to South Africa for washing, a clear scenario of water desperation in that area.

In the southern part of Lesotho, Mafeteng and Mohale’s Hoek are priorities for water supply, particularly because the latter is almost a desert. Desperation for water in these areas has come to the authorities’ attention; hence, phase II is taking care of the need. 

LLWDP-II is without doubt a mega project; it therefore has in store a wealth of lucrative employment and labour prospects. Job opportunities within this sector include the construction of large infrastructure.