On April 20, H.E. Amb. Yang Xiaokun attended the Second Tunnel Boring Machine Launch Ceremony at the Polihali Transfer Tunnel Construction Site. The event brought together over 500 participants, including government officials such as Lesotho’s Minister of Natural Resources Mohlomi Moleko and South Africa’s Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina, as well as mainstream media and local residents.

H.E. Amb. Yang said in an interview with the Lesotho National Broadcasting Service that, as China’s largest contracted project in Lesotho to date, this project has not only introduced China’s advanced technologies, but also created 2,062 local jobs, trained more than 1,000 workers and issued certificates to them, bringing significant social and economic benefits to Lesotho.

Minister Moleko emphasised the project’s role in strengthening national infrastructure, boosting economic development, and deepening cooperation between Lesotho and South Africa. Minister Majodina described the Tunnel Boring Machine as more than just equipment, calling it a “fully integrated underground factory” which will help the Gauteng Province of South Africa achieve its dream of water security.