Giyani Water Supply Scheme has taken off the ground – Minister Senzo Mchunu
he Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu and his Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Dikeledi Magadzi yesterday, 24 May 2022, witnessed the progress of the construction of raw water bulk water pipeline from Nandoni Dam to augment Nsami & Middle Letaba. The water project had been stagnant for a long time but currently 77.4% of work has been completed. The project is expected to be completed in September this year. It will benefit about 55 villages (a population of more than 240 000 people) in Giyani.
The raw water bulk supply pipeline was promised to the people of Giyani a long time ago but it has never taken off ground despite funds being made available for the project. Minister Mchunu visited the sites where the laying of the pipelines from Nandoni Dam to Nsami is currently under way. This project is led by the Department of Water and Sanitation through Lepelle Northern Water.
“I am very satisfied that the work of bringing water to Giyani is on course. This is indeed in contrast to what I saw last year because the project was hopeless and was not moving at all”.
Minister Mchunu said a new model for the pipeline installations from Nandoni to Nsami had to be drafted in order to put the project into motion. He said the Department has also installed a pipeline that will take treated water from the Water Treatment Works to Malamulele and the surrounding areas.
However, despite the progress on the raw water pipeline construction, the area of Giyani is faced with challenges that include ageing infrastructure, asbestos pipes, as well as inadequate reticulation systems to the villages.
Mopani District Municipality has indicated that there are upgrading projects of water reticulation and borehole refurbishment, particularly in the villages of Mageva, Ngove, Xikukwane, Giyani and other new places of habitation. There is also a rehabilitation and refurbishment of Giyani Water Treatment Works, which produces 36 million litres per day.
Minister Mchunu has emphasised the fact that water should be reticulated to the households. He said it is important to prioritise water reticulation to communities at the own households, and the communal system will be considered mainly for the mushrooming informal settlements.
Minister Mchunu later interacted with the communities of Giyani, who voiced their frustrations regarding the promises made to deliver water to their area. The Minister assured the community members that the Giyani Water Supply Scheme is currently on course and there will be water in Giyani.
“We are here to assure you that by September this year, there will be water available in your villages. I must say that the Giyani Water Project has been an embarrassment to both the Department of Water and Sanitation and to government as a whole, but we are determined to make sure this project brings water here in Giyani and the reticulation should also be to your households”, said Minister Mchunu.
For more information, contact Sputnik Ratau, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 082 874 2942
