He made this call during a media briefing following the tour of the project site at Makhaleng River in Malealea, Lesotho on Wednesday. 

The project, a tripartite between Lesotho, Botswana and South Africa is set to change lives of the communities of the three nations. 

Stressing the enormity of the benefits that the project would bring to the three countries involved, the President said it was time to expedite the implementation of the project, which had been in the preliminary stages for over a decade since its conceptualisation in 2011. 

“We cannot fall. We must therefore, apply ourselves to the completion of this project, and ensure that we serve the economic and other interests of our region,” he said.  In that regard, President Boko underscored Botswana’s commitment to implementation of the project set to be a huge milestone for the Southern Africa region. 

He said the collaboration between three countries was in line with the evolving Africa, where there would be intra-Africa cooperation, opening of new trade channels and expansion of existing ones as well as mutual support that ensured economic growth of the three countries. He said through the project, the SADC region profile was bound to rise and that the project would serve as an example to the rest of the continent. 

“We look forward to that scintillating moment in the history of this region when the commencement will start and eventually flow of water to these countries,” he said. 

Lesotho’s Minister of Natural Resources, Mr Mhlomi Moleko said the project did not only involve the delivery of water to the three countries but also the generation of hydroelectricity power and the growth of the economies of each of these countries. 

He said the project brought along economic prospects of agricultural activities, fisheries, establishment of industries and upliftment of communities around the area including tourism activities, hence it was of immense importance and prominence in the relations of these three countries. 

Mr Moleko also called upon the three countries to ensure project delivery that would build a legacy that future generations would look back on with pride. 

“This will be a legacy of resilience, neighbourliness, solidarity, cooperation, and sustainable development,” he said. 

According to the Managing Director of Orange-Senqu River Commission, Mr Comfort Molosiwa, the total implementation cost was estimated at around P41,7 billion (US$ 3 billion). 

The dam is designed to take the model of Katse Dam, and has over 1200 million cubic metres capacity. The country will import 150 million cubic metres annually that would benefit inhabitants of Southern Botswana, through Nnywane Dam in Lobatse. 

Furthermore, Lesotho will receive 90 million cubic metres and South Africa 68 million cubic metres of water, conveyed through a 700-kilometre pipeline. 

Mr Molosiwa stated that to date, pre-feasibility studies and dam technical feasibility had been completed. While outstanding work include amongst others, the technical feasibility of the water conveyance system, environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) for the dam and pipeline. ENDS