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Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- General
- Eyewitness News
Deputy Water and Sanitation Minister applauds work done to tackle sewage spills in Lekwa Municipality
JOHANNESBURG Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo has commended the strides made in tackling long-standing sewer spillage and water quality issues within the Lekwa Municipality in Mpumalanga. Mahlobo, alongside other water and sanitation officials, handed over the recently completed sanitation projects to the mayor, Sifiso Mngomezulu. Lekwa Municipality has long battled significant failures in its water and sanitation system — leading to widespread sewer spillages, posing health and safety risks to communities. Last year, the Standerton Regional Court highlighted the severity of the environmental damage by imposing a substantial R70 million fine on the municipality Mahlobo says the department is looking to bring the system into functionality by October this year. "On our intervention as a department, in the main, this area was filthy. The sewage was running into people's homes in the street, into public facilities, and worse, they were polluting the Vaal River system that ends up actually polluting Gauteng, Free State, Northern Cape up to Namibia and that intervention has yielded results."
The Citizen
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Here's how many millions SA sends to Lesotho each month for water
Meanwhile, Lesotho has a pretty hefty VAT bill. South Africa pays approximately R230 million monthly in royalties to Lesotho for water from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, while Lesotho owes R513 million in outstanding value-added tax (VAT) refunds as of February 2024. These monthly payments drop to around R120 million during periods when water delivery is disrupted. According to a briefing on Tuesday by the Department of Water and Sanitation to the portfolio committee on Water and Sanitation, the royalty structure operates on a 56-44% split favouring Lesotho. Teboho Nkhahle, South African Chief Delegate to the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission, confirmed South Africa 'started paying the revised royalties in January 2024' following recalculations using updated methodologies. 'We are currently paying around R230 million a month. But in the last six months, because there was no water being delivered and no electricity being generated, we're paying around R120 million a month.' The current treaty includes a 12-year review cycle for royalty rates. Committee members called for external auditing by the Auditor General of South Africa to provide more rigorous oversight. South Africa's Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo indicated willingness to explore such arrangements, stating: 'We will mandate our teams that we should find modalities… that are more credible on ensuring that even that institution is on the other side.' The R513 million VAT debt represents outstanding VAT refunds that Lesotho owes to South Africa. Nkhahle confirmed that diplomatic efforts are underway to resolve these financial obligations. Lesotho Highlands Water Project costs escalate to R53.3 billion The second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project will deliver an additional 490 million cubic meters of water annually to South Africa, supplementing 780 million cubic meters from Phase One. The water primarily serves Gauteng province. The project operates under the 1986 treaty between South Africa and Lesotho, with oversight from the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission, comprising six commissioners from each country. Mahlobo confirmed that the project remains on track for commissioning by 2029, despite recent setbacks, including contractor suspensions due to negligence and concerns over pollution. 'The project is proceeding,' Mahlobo stated, emphasising that different work packages continue simultaneously even when specific components face delays. The project's budget has escalated significantly from its original estimates, with current projections at R53.3 billion. Originally estimated to cost R42.06 billion, the project escalated to R53.3 billion. Mahlobo reaffirmed that water delivery is expected by August 2028, with completion scheduled for September 2028. Construction progress has reached 77% for major components. Nkahle explained that the R53.3 billion long-term cost plan already includes R6.2 billion in contingencies. 'This escalation and contingencies [are ]already built into this long-term cost plan, and also furthermore, each contract also has built in contingency,' Nkhahle said. ALSO READ: Completion date for R53 billion Lesotho Highlands Water Project postponed again Lesotho Highlands Water Project financial structure Committee members expressed concern about the impact on water tariffs and the need for transparency in cost management. 'All of us who are very worried, very worried around the issues of cost escalation, some of the cost escalation is because of the issues of contingencies,' Mahlobo acknowledged during the briefing. South Africa bears all cost-related payments through the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), which borrows from markets and recovers costs through water tariffs. Water tariffs have been negotiated with end users, such as Randwater, 'over CPI' to account for escalating costs. The funding strategy incorporates long-term loans to prevent sharp tariff increases. Additionally, 33% of project costs are allocated to acid mine drainage treatment, a decision made to protect the quality of water being transferred from Lesotho. Percy Sechemane, TCTA CEO, confirmed the funding arrangements where South Africa receives 'the enduring benefit of water transfer.' ALSO READ: Full Vaal Dam to the rescue as Lesotho Highlands Water Project takes bad turn Contractor suspension and pollution issues A major contractor was temporarily suspended due to negligence, specifically related to pollution in the construction area. The suspension was triggered by environmental concerns affecting water quality in the Katse Dam reservoir. 'The contractor was indeed actually suspended. That's the report we got,' Mahlobo confirmed, adding that the minister had to intervene after the matter became public through media reports. Nkhahle confirmed that 'that suspension has been lifted and the 1,300 workers who were temporarily laid off resumed work this morning.' The engineer accepted interim measures implemented by contractors, along with a comprehensive remedial plan to address environmental concerns. Nkhahle clarified that the pollution was 'localised and insignificant due to the size of the effluent that was running into the reservoir in relation to the total volume of the reservoir.' However, he noted it was significant from a construction monitoring perspective. ALSO READ: Gauteng residents warned to brace for major water disruptions this week Treaty review and financial management The current treaty includes a 12-year review cycle for royalty rates, but committee members questioned why reviews don't occur annually to match maintenance and operational cost variations. Percy Sechemane, CEO of the TCTA, explained that the lengthy review period provides stability for funders. 'The treaty itself is an instrument that a lot of thought went into from both South Africa and Lesotho,' he said, noting that frequent changes would make financiers uncomfortable about their investments. Sechemane also confirmed that water tariffs have already been negotiated with end users like Randwater to account for the escalated costs, with increases 'over CPI on the South African side so that we can close that gap.' Lesotho Highlands young professionals' programme The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority's Young Professionals Programme currently has 60 graduates. However, only five are from South Africa despite 39 being offered opportunities. According to project officials, South African graduates declined participation due to low stipends and challenging working conditions in the mountains. NOW READ: Municipal water crisis 'nothing to do with bulk water supply', says minster at LHWP reopening
The South African
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Deputy minister claims water insecurity is a thing of the past
The city of Cape Town is currently hosting the last day of the Water Security Africa Conference. Speaking at the three-day conference, Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo, said water insecurity was a thing of the past. He was delivering the keynote address under the theme 'Delivering Water Security and Sustainability for All: A Vision for Inclusive Development'. Mahlobo said, 'Siloed thinking must be left behind, and an integrated, multi-sectoral response is essential to ensure equitable water access and effective water management'. The water department is committed to providing long-term security and sustainability for all citizens, according to Mahlobo. However he said the goal can only be achieved through cross-sectoral collaboration, innovation and inclusive development. 'He called for a shift in mindset, urging South Africans to see all water, whether rainwater, stormwater, or wastewater, as a valuable resource', said department spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa. 'There is no such thing as wastewater, only wasted water. The 'One Water' (reduce, reuse, and recycle) approach challenges us to manage all water sources in a holistic and sustainable way,' said Mahlobo. The deputy minister highlighted the significance of leveraging the full value chain. According to him, South Africa should have a circular economy when it comes to the natural resource. 'We must embrace reuse, recycling, regeneration and water-sensitive design as core principles', said Mahlobo. He said groundwater and rain harvesting is important for undeserved communities. He urged the private sector, academia, civil society as well as the public sector to collaborate in finding transformative solutions. 'We cannot meet today's challenges with yesterday's methods. Our National Water and Sanitation Master Plan outlines the way forward driven by technology, innovation, and skilled professionals', said Mahlobo. 'This is not a task for the government alone. It demands collective ownership, bold ambition, and strategic investment'. he concluded. HOW ARE YOU PLAYING YOUR PART IN ENSURING THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
