South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Lesotho's King Letsie III, and Lesotho’s Prime Minister, Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane, took part in the official sod-turning ceremony at the Polihali Dam for Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
According to Ramaphosa's statement, the binational infrastructure project involves building a network of tunnels and dams to transfer water from the Senqu River in the Lesotho Highlands to South Africa, as well as using the water supply system to provide the Kingdom of Lesotho with hydroelectric power.
Ramaphosa described the project as "the biggest infrastructure investment outside South African borders in which South Africa has participated" which provides a good example of public-private collaboration to create "key public infrastructure."
"Most of the approximately R40 billion [$2 billion] in capital required for Phase Two will be raised in South Africa’s financial markets by the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority. The private sector is playing a similar role in many of our other major water resource infrastructure projects in South Africa," the South African president stated.
The leader also emphasized the special bond between the two countries, united by culture, language, traditions and water resources.
"It [the project] is a beacon of hope, a symbol of progress, a symbol of international cooperation, and a testament to the strength of bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa," Ramaphosa noted.
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a multi-phase project to supply water to the Gauteng region of South Africa and produce hydroelectric power for Lesotho, and is considered to be of a particular importance for South Africa.
The project involves harnessing the waters of the Senqu River in the highlands of Lesotho by constructing a series of dams for the mutual benefit of the two countries. The first phase of the project was completed in 2003 and opened in 2004.
The launch of Phase 2, which was initially planned for 2020 under an agreement signed in the Lesotho capital of Maseru in 2011, has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier in May, South African Water and Sanitation Department has called on South Africans to use water sparingly as the dry winter season draws near, noting the steady decline in water levels of the country.