Minister Pemmy Majodina and Eswatini counterpart Minister Lonkhokhela Dlamini sign revised Komati River Basin Management Treaty, 13 Mar

Minister Majodina and Eswatini counterpart to sign the revised Komati River Basin management treaty to activate sustainable development and management of the shared water resources.

The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Pemmy Majodina together with her Eswatini counterpart, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Prince Lonkhokhela Dlamini will on Friday, 13 March 2026, formally signoff the Revised Treaty on the Development and Utilisation of the Water Resources of the Komati Basin, at Maguga Dam in the Kingdom of Eswatini. 

The meeting also seeks to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, and enhanced river flow monitoring on the water resources shared by Eswatini and South Africa and ensure compliance to the statutory Mozambican water flows. 

The signing of the Revised Treaty marks a new chapter in the sustainable development and management of the water resources of the Komati River Basin through unlocking the Phase Two developments to enable the Member States (South Africa and Eswatini) through the Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA) to venture into future Komati Basin dam projects and undertake revenue generation initiatives to benefit the citizens of the two countries and to ensure financial sustainability, and reduce its dependency on the Member States.

KOBWA was established through the Treaty in 1992, as bi-national institution by the two countries to implement Phase 1 of the Komati River Basin Development Project- which is comprised of the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Driekoppies Dam in South Africa (Phase 1a) and the Maguga Dam in Eswatini (Phase 1b), and Phase 2 which has not yet been conceptualised.

The Komati River Basin is a shared water course between South Africa and the neighbouring countries of Eswatini and Mozambique and is comprised of Mlumati and Komati rivers and further joins the Crocodile River downstream. South Africa and Eswatini share the water in the Maguga Dam on a 60/40% basis while the Driekoppies Dam is solely used by South Africa.

Members of the media are invited to attend as follows:

Date: Friday, 13 March 2026
Time: 10:00
Venue: Maguga Lodge, Maguga Dam Precinct, Kingdom of Eswatini

For more information, contact Ms Wisane Mavasa, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 060 561 8935 or mavasaw@dws.gov.za or Ministerial Spokesperson, Mr Cornelius Monama on 083 271 0808/ monamac@dws.gov.za

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