<\/p>\n
Lesotho is seeking to open talks with South Africa over royalties and compensation for a water-sharing deal that accounts for about 10% of its economy.<\/p>\n
The nation, encircled by South Africa, sees talks starting in April, Lesotho\u2019s Natural Resources Minister Mohlomi Moleko said in an interview. South Africa\u2019s Department of Water and Sanitation didn\u2019t immediately respond to requests for comment on the talks.<\/p>\n
The negotiations over the 1986 accord will weigh on the R53 billion ($3.1 billion) Lesotho Highlands Water Project.<\/p>\n
Read:<\/p>\n
SA\u2019s water crisis is a management, not just infrastructure, problem
\nVillagers lodge complaint with AfDB against Lesotho Highlands Water Project
\nA R53bn plan to bring water to Joburg hits opposition<\/p>\n
The conduit is vital for South Africa, which is overhauling its dilapidated infrastructure to end a water crisis challenging the continent\u2019s most industrialised nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to go back and look at the impact of compensation,\u201d Moleko said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIf you give somebody compensation, you don\u2019t want the person\u2019s life to be a worse off. It has to be higher. So we are going to revisit that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lesotho officials say the terms no longer reflect current economic conditions or development priorities.<\/p>\n
At the centre is a 50-year compensation framework expiring in 2044: royalties are currently tied to South Africa\u2019s cost savings before shifting to a system based largely on water volumes.<\/p>\n
The project has expanded well beyond its original scope. Since the completion of the Katse Dam in 1996, Lesotho now supplies about 780 million cubic meters of water annually, earning about $220 million in royalties.<\/p>\n
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Read:<\/p>\n
The human cost of SA\u2019s water lifeline: Lesotho communities go to court
\nLesotho Highlands Water Project contractor suspended for polluting rivers
\nJoburg\u2019s water woes are self-inflicted<\/p>\n
A new dam and transfer tunnel, under construction since 2023, will push supply above one billion cubic meters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese dams could have been built in South Africa,\u201d Moleko said, adding that the review will assess whether returns adequately benefit the nation.<\/p>\n
The plan is critical to water security in South Africa\u2019s Gauteng economic hub, giving Lesotho leverage as it pushes for revised terms.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a02026\u00a0Bloomberg<\/p>\n
#Lesotho #seeks #terms #water #deal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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