Deputy Minister Sello Seitlholo leads South African delegation to ORASECOM Climate Resilient Investment Conference in Lesotho, 8 May

Deputy Minister Seitlholo to lead a South African delegation to the ORASECOM Climate Resilient Investment Conference in Lesotho

Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr. Sello Seitlholo, will lead the South African delegation to the Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM) Climate Resilient Investment Conference, scheduled to take place on Thursday, 08 May 2025, at the Avani Maseru Hotel in Lesotho.

The Conference aims to raise awareness and mobilise investments to implement priority actions outlined in the Climate Resilient Investment Plan, which promotes sustainable development and water security within the Orange-Senqu River Basin.

The event will provide a high-level platform for dialogue and collaboration between private investors, government representatives, ORASECOM member states, international financial institutions, and water resource experts to drive funding and partnerships in support of vital water infrastructure projects.

The Conference is hosted by ORASECOM, in collaboration with government of Kingdom of Lesotho through the Ministry of Natural Resources and the four basin states, which are Lesotho, South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana.

The Republic of South Africa strongly values its longstanding and strategic partnerships with fellow ORASECOM member states. These regional collaborations reflect a collective commitment to climate resilience, sustainable water management, and regional integration. Through ORASECOM, the basin states developed an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Plan, followed by the Climate Resilient Investment Strategy, which identifies 36 priority infrastructure projects essential to the basin’s future.

Highlighted projects include:

•    Orange River Project and Noordoewer-Vioolsdrift (NVD) Intervention Options 
•    Lesotho to Botswana Water Transfer Scheme 
•    Integrated Vaal River Intervention System 
•    Caledon to Greater Bloemfontein Transfer 
•    Greater Bloemfontein Internal Resource Improvements 
•    Gariep to Greater Bloemfontein Transfer 
    
Deputy Minister Seitlholo has highlighted the importance of regional collaboration and the relevance of the conference to South Africa’s water sector.

“Water knows no borders, and neither should our cooperation. The ORASECOM Investment Conference is more than a funding event, it is a reaffirmation of our shared vision for sustainable development and regional integration. South Africa remains firmly committed to ORASECOM’s mission and values, and we look forward to strengthening partnerships that will ensure lasting water security for all basin states,” he said.

The ORASECOM Investment Conference is a critical platform for uniting stakeholders in advancing water infrastructure projects that drive socio-economic development, improve water quality and access, and build climate resilience across Southern Africa.

Established in November 2000, ORASECOM is the custodian of one of the largest river systems in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The Orange-Senqu River Basin spans approximately one million square kilometres, covering all of Lesotho and significant parts of South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia. The Commission was established to promote integrated water resource development and management across this vital transboundary basin.

For more information, contact Wisane Mavasa, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 060 561 8935/ mavasaw@dws.gov.za.

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