By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South Africa and Lesotho have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a new framework for cooperation in water resource development along the Mohokare/Caledon River.
The framework of cooperation, signed by South Africa’s Water and Sanitation MinisterPemmy Majodina and Lesotho’s Natural Resources Minister Mohlomi Moleko, will enable access for Lesotho to the South African side of the river to construct two weirs under its Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture (MDIH) project for the development of irrigation infrastructure on identified irrigatable sites in the Mohokare river.
The Mohokare river forms a large part of Lesotho’s north-western border with South Africa, starting in the Maloti Mountains of northern Lesotho, and becoming the Caledon river as it continues through the Free State province in South Africa.
The weirs, the construction of which will run across the river to South Africa, will allow for storage of water to provide Lesotho year-round irrigation, even during the dry seasons when water levels in the river are low.
The Lesotho MDIH schemes require about 6.35-million cubic metres a year (m3/y) of additional water, but could increase to 9.79-million m3/y in a dry year for the 1 580 ha in the simulated schemes.
For South Africa, the construction of the abstraction weirs will assist in reducing sedimentation, a major concern in the Caledon river.
The weirs will also be used for water quantity measuring as well as flood tracing purposes on the Caledon river.
The parties signed the MoU during the second session of the BiNational Commission (BNC) held in Maseru, in Lesotho, which was led by Lesotho Prime Minister Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The BNC aims to foster strong political and bilateral relations between the two countries; deepen economic cooperation taking into consideration the regional value chains; review the implementation of the outcomes of the BNC inaugural session taken two years ago; and agree on newly identified priority areas for mutual benefit.
Ramaphosa commended Lesotho’s ongoing efforts to advance the political and constitutional reform agenda.
He said the relationship between the two countries is characterised by cooperation, good neighbourliness and a mutually beneficial relationship.
“This BNC mechanism needs to ensure that the 45 agreements and legal instruments that have been signed are fully implemented. We assemble in this session at a time of new global challenges and uncertainties. “
Let us work together as peace-loving nations – within SADC (Southern African Development Community), the African Union and the United Nations – to pursue a just global order founded on multilateralism, human rights and respect for international law.
Matekane has prioritised economic diversification and foreign investment since taking office in 2022. His leadership complements Ramaphosa’s focus on regional integration, creating a strong foundation for the BNC’s outcomes.