LHDA launches 2nd TBM naming competition

The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) has launched the second Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) naming competition – School Edition.

The contest officially opened on February 4 and will close on February 25, 2026.

LHDA invites high school learners to participate in the naming of the TBM that will excavate the Polihali Transfer Tunnel from the Polihali end.

The competition is open to Grade 11 learners in high schools nationwide, with a limited number of entries per school.

According to LHDA, targeting Grade 11 learners is a deliberate effort to contribute to educational development by strengthening research, critical engagement with complex ideas and writing skills that entail construction of logical, evidence-based arguments and creativity. 

The move further encourages early exposure to infrastructure development, engineering, and broader STEM-related careers and aims to foster national pride and a sense of ownership among young people, ultimately transforming a major technical milestone into a shared national moment.

Just like in the first phase of the TBM naming competition, LHDA will engage a panel of judges that will select the 10 most meaningful and creative names which will be announced across the same platforms.

Subsequently, LHDA will open a national vote to determine the winning name, which will be bestowed on the TBM. The contestant who proposes the winning name will become part of Lesotho Water Project Phase II (LHWPII) history, receiving recognition at the naming ceremony and awarded prizes and honours.

The Polihali to Katse Transfer Tunnel is a key component of Phase II of the LHWP). It will facilitate the gravity transfer of water from the Polihali reservoir to the Katse reservoir. Both tunnel boring and drill and blast methods are used to excavate the tunnel from the Leribe and Polihali ends.

The Polihali TBM arrived in Lesotho in July 2025, while the first TBM -Khuiti-ea-Ngoaha-Kholo (KENK2) launched excavation from the Leribe side in January 2025.