Yesterday I submitted a formal Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to the Department of Water and Sanitation, after months of silence from Minister Pemmy Majodina.
Despite the Minister’s public acknowledgment that a probe into the escalating costs of Phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) would be conducted, no further details have been shared with Parliament or the public. A previous letter sent on 8 May 2025 requesting clarity on the matter went unanswered, prompting a second letter on the matter, which has likewise received no substantive reply.
The DA has therefore taken formal steps to compel the Department to release the following documentation:
- The record of decision to investigate the escalating costs of LHWP Phase 2;
- The appointment letter of the individual or body tasked with conducting the investigation;
- The terms of reference guiding the scope and timeline of the probe.
The Lesotho Highlands Project Phase II is of national strategic importance, particularly for water security in Gauteng. South Africans deserve transparency on how a project that was initially estimated at R8 billion has reportedly ballooned to R53 billion, over R11 billion of which was in the last year alone.
Taxpayers are footing the bill, and we have a right to know whether proper procurement, contract management and oversight mechanisms have been followed.
We would like to reiterate that while the DA welcomes any investigation into the cost overruns, the Department’s failure to proactively disclose details of the probe raises serious red flags about the sincerity and robustness of the process.
Opaque processes damage public trust. If the Department is genuinely serious about accountability, it must respond to this PAIA request with urgency.
Anything less suggests a deliberate attempt to withhold critical information from Parliament and the public.
The DA will continue to fight for transparency and sound financial governance in all major water infrastructure projects—especially as South Africa grapples with a deepening national water crisis.