Lesotho court case could put Gauteng's water supply at risk

You probably haven’t heard of Mokhele Likate‚ but the Lesotho businessman is the face of a court case that puts Gauteng’s water supply directly up against Basotho business interests.

Likate is the chairperson of the Consortium of Basotho Contractors‚ a group that represents some 30 companies in the country‚ and which believes crucial tenders for the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project cannot be awarded because they are skewed in favour of South African businesses.

Should the consortium win its case‚ conditions of tenders on the multi-billion-rand Polihali Dam development – which are currently in the process of being awarded – could be sent back to the drawing board. This‚ in turn‚ could further delay a project already five years behind schedule.

The Lesotho Highlands Project supplies 40% of Gauteng’s water. The Polihali Dam development is a vital element in Phase 2 of the project‚ and it is tenders for this contract that are at stake.

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