The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) has awarded the professional services contract for the planning, design and construction supervision of the housing and associated infrastructure for Phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP).

Polihali Infrastructure Consultants, a joint venture between Mott MacDonald PDNA and Khatleli Tomane Moteane started work on the R74.3 million contract in early September.

This contract, which should be completed in the latter part of 2021, forms part of the advance infrastructure works that must be completed to facilitate the construction of the main works namely the Polihali dam and transfer tunnel and the hydropower station.

Refiloe Tlali, CE of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA), says this is the biggest contract of the Phase 2 contracts concluded so far this year.

“The quality of its deliverables and the importance of its timeous completion cannot be over emphasised, given Phase 2’s timelines and the contribution the project implementation is expected to make to the local economy. The LHDA is confident that the Polihali Infrastructure Consultants Joint Venture has the capacity to deliver the brief.”

Scope of works

This contract includes:

• The preparation of preliminary and detailed architectural and engineering designs of both the temporary and permanent project housing and related infrastructure
• Preliminary and detailed design of utilities
• Preparation of tenders and contract documents
• The procurement of construction contracts
• The supervision of the construction programme and environmental monitoring during construction.

The project housing works comprise accommodation facilities for the staff and labour force, site offices, workshops, plant yards and other work areas.

Some of the structures built as part of this contract are intended for long term use.

These include staff accommodation in the Polihali reservoir area which will be built as a village with all appropriate associated facilities; a visitors’ lodge at the staff village which will become a tourist facility and the employer’s and engineer’s offices at the dam site which will become the operations staff offices and a visitors centre on completion of the scheme.

“The next phase of this project will bring benefits beyond increased water and electricity supply and we are delighted at this opportunity to contribute further to the region’s economic and social development,” concludes Dempsey Naidoo, Mott MacDonald’s Africa managing director.