The Lesotho Highlands Water project is 40 years old and going strong: but history weighs on its successes The Lesotho-South Africa water deal was clinched during the apartheid era and without public consultation.

I see a lot of folks asking about the #LHWP and the renegotiation of the #Treaty that is due to start in April, 2026.

It is only 28 years late! The original Treaty from 1986 called for renegotiations every 12 years!

theconversation.com/the-lesotho-...

Watch Can Lesotho Solve Johannesburg's Water Crisis? - Bloomberg Much of Johannesburg’s water comes from Lesotho's highlands, where a major dam project could shape the future of supply as aging infrastructure and climate pressures strain the system. The project is ...

Bloomberg News discovers the #LHWP. And (wrongly) claims that #Lesotho is selling #water to South Africa (they are selling gravity--RSA partially owns the water already):

www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/...

Read up on the history of the #LHWP!

#Lesotho
#SouthAfrica
#Water
#Development
#Gauteng
#History

A picture of me holding copies of the new book 'White Gold and Thirsty Communities'

White Gold and Thirsty Communities!

#Lesotho
#SouthAfrica
#Water
#History
#LHWP

Rachel is too kind!

But please do heed her advice and read the book!

#Lesotho
#SouthAfrica
#LHWP
#Water
#ColdWar
#Development
#Apartheid
#Independence

White Gold and Thirsty Communities The story of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is a tale both of international diplomacy and of the ways that high politics and the antiapartheid struggle played out—and continue to play out—...

Hey South Africa, it looks like my new book on the history of the #Lesotho Highlands #Water Project (published by @HSRCPress) is now available!

Also available at other quality booksellers across the country!

#LHWP
#History
#Apartheid

Exclusive Books: exclusivebooks.co.za/products/978...

Events Get FREE delivery to all EXCLUSIVE BOOKS stores nationwide. FREE delivery to your door on all orders over R450, within South Africa.

Johannesburg!

Are you interested in the history of #water?

Specifically the history of the #Lesotho Highlands Water Project ( #LHWP )?

I wrote a book on it (in @HSRCPress)!

Launch: 6 March, Exclusive Books, Melrose Arch, 1800

RSVP here:

exclusivebooks.co.za/pages/events...

Hey, if you are around #Madison, #Wisconsin on Thursday afternoon and want to hear all about the #Lesotho Highlands Water Project ( #LHWP ), come out to the Department of Anthropology Colloquium!

www.anthropology.wisc.edu/wp-content/u...

Lesotho Highlands Water Project offers hydropower bonus What began as an ambitious plan to channel Lesotho’s mountain water to Gauteng has also unleashed clean energy, turning the project into a surprising renewable energy success story.

The #Lesotho Highlands #Water Project ( #LHWP ) is now producing #hydroelectric power in #SouthAfrica as the water flows from the outflow in the Free State toward #Gauteng

www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025...

Trout farming company’s strange “error” on donations - MNNCIJ Fish cages in Katse Dam, photo by Sechaba Mokhethi Sanlei Premium Trout reported community donations of fish heads worth M2.9-million, but actually gave less than M450,000 Sechaba Mokhethi A Lesotho t...

A #Lesotho #trout farming company overstated its donations to local communities, reporting donations of fish heads five times higher than the actual amount:

#LHDA
#LHWP
#Water

lescij.org/2025/06/04/t...

Want to know how exciting it is to write a book?

I have just cut 509 uses of the word "that" from the manuscript. It started out with 1157 and now has less than 650!

#Proofreading
#AmWriting
#LHWP
#Lesotho
#AlmostThere

It does read better now, though!

It is also very clear as I listen to the computer read this manuscript back to me that I *greatly* overuse the word "that" in my writing. I am deleting it from just about every sentence where I used it!

#AmWriting
#Lesotho
#LHWP
#BookTalk
#Proofreading

Well, I did find an instance where I claimed that South African Prime Minister Verwoerd made a decision for Cabinet in November 1966...which would have been *very hard* for him to do since he was assassinated in September 1966!

#AmProofreading
#LHWP
#BookTalk
#Lesotho

Let's see how many times I mis-typed "damning" instead of "damming" in this book, shall we?

🤣😂🤣

#OneAlready
#LHWP
#History
#Lesotho
#Proofreading

LHDA completes major tunnel maintenance, restores power at ‘Muela station The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) completes major tunnel maintenance, restores power at ‘Muela station

#Lesotho has reopened the #Muela hydropower station, meaning domestic #electricity supply has resumed. This is happening in the wake of the 7-month maintenance shutdown of the #LHWP supply tunnels that ran from Oct '24 to May '25

waterpowermagazine.com/news/lhda-comp

The only tease I can offer is the only part of the title that I WON'T give up under any circumstances:

"Selling Gravity..."

#Lesotho
#LHWP
#Water
#Apartheid
#SouthAfrica
#Gravity
#ColdWar
#Development

I do, of course, have thoughts on his read on #history, but just know that I am hoping that my book on the history of the #LHWP will be out by the end of the year in Southern Africa. And I hope Dr. Lipholo and others read it!

Polihali Transfer tunnel (to #Katse Reservoir) is 30% complete

In short, looks like the #Gauteng region can weather a 6-month (planned) shutdown of the #LHWP and once the tap is turned on again, the #WhiteGold will flow once again.

Home | LHDA

A friend reminded me I haven't done a #Lesotho #water update in a while! So, here goes.

With ~1 month to go on #LHWP maintenance shutdown, Lesotho dams looking good.

Katse at 89% full
Mohale at 96%

#PolihaliDam 22% complete
Bridges: 62% complete

lhda.org.ls

When this is complete, the #LHWP will have 152 km (94.5 miles) of underground transfer tunnels.

The LHWP really is an astounding project from an engineering perspective.

And a project with mixed legacy on the #human front.

My #book on its history will be out later in 2025

🚨🚨🚨
UN Secretary General #Guterres expected in #Lesotho on Thursday next week.

Will address #Parliament, meet with King #LetsieIII, and celebrate #Lesotho200

Will also talk about #ClimateChange, highlight problems of land-locked countries, and visit #LHWP

Big times!