Minister Mchunu dismayed by Action SA’s opportunistic use of Giyani water challenges to score political points
I am dismayed by the actions of Action SA and their attempts to use the Giyani water issues to score political points.
It is public knowledge that the Giyani Water Project had been marred by serious challenges of poor management and corruption that has led to the loss of billions of rands and the project stalling for several years; this has been an eyesore, not only to the residents of that area, but also to us as government and the rest of South Africa.
Upon our appointment in 2021 and having received a report about the project and its events, Lepelle Northern Water Board was instructed, as the Implementing Agent, to resume the project and ensure that it is fast-tracked and completed. We understood that we could not keep the people of Giyani waiting any longer to have access to one of their basic human rights, this, while the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) conducted its own investigation into the loss of billions of rands that could not be accounted for.
We want to discard 4 specific inaccuracies stemming from the recent statement by Action SA:
- That there is no accountability on the matter. Fact 1: The SIU has completed its investigations and have instituted legal action for the repayment of over R 2.3 billion by 3 individuals who are former Lepelle Northern Water employees. The accusation that the President and I lack accountability does not even arise at all, unless Sello Lediga has more information, which he must then publicise.
- That work is still to be done by the Department. Fact 2: There are 4 components to the scheme and are detailed below, each with their own timelines.
- That we have failed to deliver as per the timeframes. Fact 3: We will always have timeframes attached to projects and consequently, when we fail to meet those deadlines or when we do indeed succeed in meeting them, we will always take the public into confidence, and we have done exactly that.
- That the people of Giyani are not receiving water. Fact 4: The people of Giyani are getting water through various means: via boreholes (as a temporary measure), via the old system although intermittently, as the system is currently being refurbished and lastly, via water tankers.
In addition to the 4 components of the project, we want to state that villages in Malamulele West will be receiving water from the Nandoni Water Treatment Works, following the laying of a 26.58 km pipeline; reticulation, which Mopani District Municipality is attending to, is the only outstanding element.
We have committed ourselves and we are hard at work to ensure that this project reaches completion and within the set timeframes. We have been very transparent concerning the work that has been taking place and we have been conducting regular oversight visits.
I would like to reassure the community of Giyani and the rest of South Africa that nothing has changed from that pronouncement, that the project is still on course as outlined earlier in the year.
Yes, we have experienced hurdles along the way, the project has experienced major delays due to scope of work changes and added packages, access denial by traditional leaders, community protests and restrictions on the pipe route from Nandoni to Giyani, poor project management and to an extent, the weather patterns that delayed work progress by not less than 4 weeks, and these hindered progress that would ensure that the bulk pipeline was completed within the allocated time.
As announced in April, the rest of the remaining work is still on course and the work packages are being implemented simultaneously to ensure that the project is completed on time.
The four work packages of the Giyani Bulk Water Supply Scheme are comprised as follows:
- Work Package 1 consists of the construction of the 40.5 km raw bulk pipeline which transfers raw bulk water from Nandoni dam to Nsami dam, thereby augmenting raw water from the Middle Letaba dam. The water will be treated in the Giyani Water Treatment Works situated in Nsami, into potable water. This bulk water infrastructure project was completed on the 5th of April 2023.
- Work Package 2 entails constructing a 325km pipeline to supply bulk water from Giyani Water Treatment Works to 55 villages from the commanding reservoir in Nsami to the reservoirs that will ultimately supply water to the 55 villages. The project is currently underway, and 300 km of installations have already been covered and the project is at 63% completion.
- The third Package is in 2 phases, with the first being to refurbish the 30 megalitres a day (ml/d) Giyani Water Treatment Works back to its optimal capacity. The water treatment is currently functioning at 17 ml/d and is unable to meet the current demand in the area. The project is scheduled to be completed in December 2023. The 2nd phase of this work package is to upgrade the water treatment plant with a further 10 ml/d; this is to ensure that it covers villages that are now being included on the network and will start in the new financial year, April 2024.
The project is being implemented by the Mopani District Municipality through the Department of Water and Sanitation Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG).
The fourth and last package is a newly added package into the scope of the project that consists of reticulating the potable water to the 55 villages that have been added into the network to increase the level of services from communal taps to yard connections. This work package is also divided into 2 phases and is also being implemented by the Mopani District through the funding from the WSIG, and we are providing necessary oversight to ensure that it is on track.
Phase 1 of the package consists of reticulation to 24 of the 55 villages; 37 contractors have been appointed and are on site in various villages laying the reticulation pipes. The remaining 31 villages will be part of Phase 2, which will start in the new financial year (April 2024).
All these work packages are on track, and we anticipate that they will be completed within the set timelines. We know that the people of Giyani have been patient and we continue to plead with them for their patience as we work towards providing them with sustainable, reliable and consistent water supply.
Enquiries:
Kamogelo Mogotsi
Cell: 076 523 0085
Wisane Mavasa
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za
