The RISDP outlines the key interventions necessary to deepen regional integration and eradicate
poverty on a sustainable basis. It incorporates crosscutting issues related to combating HIV and AIDS,
gender equality and mainstreaming, poverty eradication, environment and sustainable
development, private sector development, science and technology, as well as statistics. All SADC
projects therefore need to be structured such that they become part of the strategy in achieving the
objectives of the RISDP. At the same time, the goal of the RSAP III is to strengthen the enabling
environment for regional water resources governance, management and development through the
application of integrated water resources management at the regional, river basin, Member State
and community levels.
Figure 3.3 shows the three pillars of the RSAP III conceptual framework, namely water governance,
infrastructure development and water management. The three pillars are founded on an IWRM
base. At the same time, the RSAP III Programme focuses on three action areas: food security, water
supply and sanitation and energy security.
The 23 Maseru prioritised projects were interrogated to see where they fall in the RISDP objectives
and RSAP III pillars and Programme strategic areas. This is because the RSAP III is the current official
SADC programme for the Water Sector, and is therefore the de facto implementation plan for the
Water Sector part of the RIDMP. Table 3.2 takes this approach in analysing the 23 Maseru prioritised
projects. It is clear that none of the 23 Maseru prioritised projects��lie in the water governance pillar
framework of the RSAP III.
Bearing in mind that the SADC Water Sector RISDP is premised on poverty eradication, regional
integration and economic development, the RSAP III outlining three strategic action areas (water
governance, infrastructure development and water management) and the 23 projects already
prioritised, an analysis was done with respect to the enabling, implementation and future operation
and maintenance environment with the following findings.
The resultant 11 projects are considered as Gap Projects (GP) and have been numbered as GP‐1 to
GP‐11 as follows:
Water Governance and Institutional Reforms
The following projects have been included as part of the Water Sector RIDMP, as they are deemed
necessary for the successful implementation of the 23 Maseru prioritised projects:
Institutional reforms to address operational inefficiencies of municipal water service providers
(staffing structures, cost reflective tariffs, billing) (Project GP‐1);
Domestication and harmonisation of the SADC protocols, policies and strategies with those of
the Member States and between watercourse states (Project GP‐2); and
Reforms mandating or granting executive powers to existing RBOs to be the project developers,
marketers, implementers, owners and operators of water sector infrastructure in the respective
river basins (Project GP‐3).
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