In the spirit that peace prevail when rivers flow, the Prime Minister (PM), Mr Ntsokoane Matekane says, Lesotho Highlands Water Treaty (LHWT) has made positive strides on the lives of Basotho and its neighbors.He said this when giving progress on the review and the revision of the LHWT at an occasion celebrating the bestowing of the Presidential award on His Majesty King Letsie III in Maseru last week.
At the core of the treaty, the PM said has been generation of water royalties for affected communities and improving shared aspirations to the treaty amongst others.
He commended the His Majesty for his leadership, supporting the treaty and the project, adding that the ceremony is a testament to what the region can achieve through harnessing resources.
Meanwhile, the PM also stated that Lesotho and South Africa would be reviewing the treaty in line with Article 18 for mutual benefit.
Moreover, he expressed his gratitude, especially regional and international guests for their presence while also appreciating the Global Water Partnership (GWP) for bestowing the change maker award to King.
On behalf of Botswana President- Chair of the Award Committee, Minister of Water and Human Settlement Onneetse Ramogapi congratulated His Majesty King Letsie III for the 2025 GWP award.
He underlined that King Letsie III is one of the sixth few Heads of State to receive the change maker award, this for his role in championing the LHWP as a model of transboundary cooperation for peace, resilience and sustainable development.
“Today, we congratulate His Majesty King Letsie III who has successfully inspired Basotho through his leadership diligently and with humility,” he added.
The occasion that saw entertainment from ‘Sotho Kids’ is a result of the previous African Union-AIP Water Investment Summit held in Cape Town from 13 to 15 August, recognising high-level political commitment to water security.
The GWP is an international network aiming to foster an integrated approach to water resources management. Founded in 1996, GWP operates as a network with over 3000 partner organisations in 179 countries. Its key objectives are promotion of sustainable development and management of water resources amongst others.
Source : Lesotho News Agency (LENA) 27/10/2025
