Olifants River Water Resource Development Project (ORWRDP), phase two
2 November 2006
Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Lindiwe Hendricks said today that her
department welcomes the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism's revised
Record of Decision issued on 16 October 2006 in respect of the ORWRDP,
including De Hoop Dam and the other infrastructure components.
"Having analysed the RoD, I believe the decision is fair", she said. "My
department commissioned the R4,9 billion project of which the De Hoop Dam and
water conveyance infrastructure form the main components to meet the urgent
need for water in the middle Olifants River catchment and adjacent areas in the
Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces."
This Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA)
project will supply water to rural communities that are still without a safe
and reliable source of water 12 years after democracy. It will also unlock
social and economic development by making water available to the mining sector.
This is in line with government's programme of poverty eradication.
Municipalities in the area supported by national and provincial government are
preparing to invest an additional R3 billion on infrastructure to treat and
distribute potable water to rural domestic and urban users. More than 800 000
people in the project area will benefit by improved domestic water supply when
the availability of water from the De Hoop Dam is secured.
The project will maximise business and job opportunities with related skills
training opportunities during the construction period. The development will
also stimulate tourism opportunities. In the longer term many socio-economic
benefits are predicted to be brought about by sufficient water in this
extremely dry region of our country. Apart from the direct permanent employment
opportunities that will be created by the project, mining and its support
industries will stimulate investment of more than R15 billion and create about
90 000 sustainable jobs. The anticipated additional salaries and wages
resulting from economic development in the area are estimated to be in excess
of R2 billion per year.
Environment and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk issued a revised
RoD on 16 October containing the conditions for development of the ORWRDP
(phase two), after he concluded that the need for the proposed dam has clearly
been demonstrated and that there is no viable alternative for water supply to
the relatively dry Limpopo region.
He also directed his department in partnership with the Department of Water
Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) and other major authorities to conduct a strategic
environmental assessment to guide further development in the catchment and the
downstream Kruger National Park.
The relevant co-basin countries Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana were
notified about the intended development in accordance with the agreed
international protocol on shared watercourse systems in the Southern Africa
Development Community (SADC) region. None of the co-basin countries objected to
the building of the De Hoop Dam.
The revised RoD puts more emphasis on the positive socio-economic and
environmental aspects that will be brought about by the dam. Specific reference
is made in the revised RoD of the need to conserve the biodiversity of the
Sekhukhuneland Centre of Plant Endemism, an area of valuable biodiversity where
the dam and the infrastructure will be located; the planning and implementation
of water conservation and demand strategies, and to implement a wide range of
mitigation measures.
Facts regarding the ORWRDP (phase two):
* more than 800 000 people will benefit from improved domestic water
supply
* 90 000 sustainable jobs will be created
* alternative land has been identified to conserve biodiversity where the dam
and infrastructure will be located
* the Steelpoort River will still get water to maintain its ecological system
during and after the construction phase
* pre-construction includes the relocation of graves, archaeological work,
establishing a labour forum and building accommodation for construction
teams
* an existing 20 kilometres of the provincial road (R555) between Roossenekal
and Steelpoort will be realigned from April 2007 � June 2009
* the projected start of construction of the dam is in the second quarter of
2007
* the project would be used to establish new business processes for the
establishment of the National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency
* DWAF intends to manage the Olifants River system in consultation with South
African National Parks (SANParks) to ensure water flow in the Kruger National
Park.
For further details contact:
Dr. Cornelius Ruiters
Deputy Director General: National Water Resource Infrastructure
Tel: (012) 336 7305
Cell: 082 317 4397
Issued by: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
2 November 2006
