Overview

LEWA - Who are we?

The Authority began its journey in 2004 as the Lesotho Electricity Authority (LEA). This followed the restructuring of the electricity industry, which needed a regulatory body to regulate the sector in the interests of all electricity sector stakeholders. The Authority became a multi-sector regulator in 2011, following the Act’s amendment to extend the LEA mandate to regulate the subsector of urban water and sewerage services. Hence the change of the name from LEA to LEWA. The LEWA was established to regulate the Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) and Urban Water and Sewerage Services (UWSS) subsector, where services are not supplied competitively.

The Authority intends to transition from regulating electricity, urban water and sewerage services to energy and sanitation.

The Authority’s funding comes from license fees, customer levies, interest, and other sources of revenue. The LEWA operates within the context of Government policy and must help realise the electrification, and urban water and sewerage targets set by the Government.

In the Financial Year 2021/22, LEC added 11, 789 new connections against the set target of 15,000, bringing its total customer base to 293, 067. In the UWSS, WASCO made 3888 new urban water connections against a target of 6000, and 290 sewer connections were made against a target of 1000 per year. Its customer base increased to 114 554, while sewer connections increased to 8562.

Our Vision
Our Mission
Our Key Values

"To be a progressive utilities regulator that facilitates the promotion of and access to sustainable, affordable and quality regulated services."

"To regulate the electricity, urban water and sewerage services in the interests of all stakeholders and support their growing and ever-changing needs."

"The value statements reflect what the Authority stands for and how it is going to conduct itself. In its quest to comply with the LEA Act 2002 as amended, legislation relevant to regulation, and good corporate governance practices, the Authority has adopted the following values."

Professionalism

The Authority shall undertake, at all times, a competent and committed approach in line with professional ethics and standards.

Teamwork

The Authority shall at all times, embrace teamwork, mutual cooperation, extensive consultation and appreciation of diverse perspectives in the discharge of its duties and functions.

Efficiency

The Authority shall make regulatory decisions without undue delay using minimum resources available.

Integrity

The Authority’s decisions and practices shall be honest, reliable, ethical and unbiased. Excellence The Authority shall be a high quality, continuously improving and self-aware institution.

Background History

The total Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) customer base was 203,876 at the end of the financial Year 2015/16. Using National and Sub-National Population Projections of June 2010 produced by Bureau of Statistics (BOS), the total number of connected households (192,838) translates to about 42% of Lesotho households connected to the main grid electricity. In 2000, only 20,000 of the estimated 400,000 households in Lesotho at the time, had been connected to electricity since the (LEC) started operations in 1969.

At the end of the 2015/16 years the total Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) water customer base was 90,544. Maseru customers comprised 59% of these connections. The overall coverage of water services in urban areas stood at 67.4%. For sewerage services 7,165 had been made. As in water services coverage 90% of the connections were in Maseru. Total coverage of sewerage services was at 5.3%.

A restructured electricity industry would need a regulatory body which would regulate the sector in the interests of all electricity sector stakeholders. Hence the Lesotho Electricity Authority – the predecessor of LEWA- was established in August 2004.

The LEWA gets funding from licensed electricity operators and a levy paid by electricity customers. The LEWA operates within the context of Government policy and has a duty to help in the realisation of the electrification and water and sewerage s targets as set by the Government