The South African government has expressed confidence in the completion of maintenance work at the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) tunnel in Clarens, Free State, within the scheduled six-month timeframe. Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodina, and Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo, conducted an oversight visit to the Ash River Outfall in Clarens over the weekend to assess the progress of the maintenance work.
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a continuing water supply project with a hydropower component, developed in partnership between the governments of Lesotho and South Africa. It comprises a system of several large dams and tunnels throughout Lesotho and delivers water to the Vaal River System in South Africa. In Lesotho, it involves the rivers Malibamatso, Matsoku, Senqunyane, and Senqu. It is the Africa's largest water transfer scheme.