A diplomatic row may further delay the construction of a multi-billion dollar project in Lesotho that’s needed to ward off a water crisis in South Africa, Business Day reported, citing court papers and other documents.

Lesotho objected to the reappointment of Tente Tente as the chief executive officer of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, which the two countries established in 1986 and is responsible for providing water to South Africa’s commercial hub of Gauteng, the Johannesburg-based newspaper said.

Lesotho, a country of about 3-million people that’s encircled by South Africa, is a key provider of water to its neighbour as climate change exacerbates drought in the continent’s most-industrialised economy.

The mountain kingdom blames Tente for delays and the growing cost of a 53-billion-rand ($3-billion) plan to build a new dam and a tunnel to funnel water to South Africa, the newspaper reported. South Africa has argued that Tente isn’t solely to blame for the delay and the cost overrun, citing environmental and political dynamics, and other factors, according to the report.

Lesotho Attorney-General Rapelang Motsieloa and Natural Resources Minister Mohlomi Moleko filed a court application to reverse the appointment, while South Africa’s government is working on finding a way to resolution to the dispute, the newspaper reported.