Minister Mchunu to conduct site inspections at Giyani Water Projects, Raising of Tzaneen Dam Wall, and on alleged tributary blockages to Middle Letaba Dam by local farmers.
The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu will conduct site inspection visits at the Giyani Water Project that are currently under way to restore water supply to Giyani town and extend yard connection services provision to 55 villages in around Giyani, Mopani District Municipality in Limpopo.
The project include the completed 40.5 km pipeline which is now transferring bulk water from Nandoni Dam to Nsami Dam for the benefit of Giyani residents and identified villages; Giyani Water Treatment Works which is being refurbished to reach its maximum capacity of treating 30 megalitres of water per day to benefit the local residents and the villages; as well as the reticulation pipeline project, which is the last part of the Giyani Water Project to ensure that water is being reticulated to the villages.
The reticulation project is an added package to the project, to increase the level of services from communal taps to yard connections for the 55 villages, funded by DWS and being implemented by the Mopani District Municipality as the Water Services Authority. This work package is also divided into 2 phases. Phase 1 consists of reticulating 24 of the 55 villages which is currently underway. The remaining 31 villages will be part of Phase 2 and its reticulation is expected to start in this new financial year.
After the site inspections in Giyani, Minister Mchunu will visit the R550 million raising of the Tzaneen Dam wall project which commenced last year and is currently at 20% completion. This project which entails raising the wall by 3 metres will result in a tripling of the storage capacity of the Dam, and ultimately provide much-needed additional water for domestic, industrial and agricultural use in the north-east of Limpopo.
Thereafter, Minister Mchunu will visit Middle Letaba Dam, which has been plagued by allegations of the alleged illegal blocking of tributaries flowing to the dam by local farmers in area. The Minister will also interact with the farmers and community representatives affected by the situation.
The events of the programme will unfold as follows:
DAY 1 & 2: Site inspection at Giyani Water Project
DATE: 22- 23 April 2024
VENUE: Giyani Water Treatment Work (Nsami Dam) & Reticulation Pipeline Projects in Villages
TIME: 09:00 – 17:00
DAY 2: Raising of the Tzaneen Dam Wall
DATE: 23 April 2024
VENUE: Tzaneen Dam, Tzaneen
TIME: 14:00 – 16:00
DAY 3:
Session 1: Inspection of illegal abstractions at Middle Letaba Dam
DATE: 24 April 2024
VENUE: Middle Letaba Dam
TIME: 09:00 – 12:30
Session 2: Meeting with the affected farmers and community representatives
VENUE: Mopani District Municipality Council Chambers
TIME: 13:30 – 15:00
*NB Please note that there will be media doorstop at all the site visits
For confirmations, please contact Sanku Tsunke on 066 299 2915 / tsunkes@dws.gov.za or Mashilo Raletjena on 082 471 6012 / raletjenam2@dws.gov.za
Media enquiries:
Wisane Mavasa, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 060 561 8935
Kamogelo Mogotsi, Spokesperson for the Ministry
Cell: 076 523 0085
