Villagers in Giyani will have to wait yet another three months to finally have flowing water from Giyani Bulk Water Project, which was launched 14 years ago with an initial cost of R502m, which has since escalated to R4,5bn.
At least 55 villages in Giyani, Limpopo, will depend on the project for water supply. The area is known for water scarcity.
Ramaphosa conducted an oversight visit to the multibillion-rand project on Sunday, when he announced to residents that a new target had been set for March 2023. In October, water affairs and sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu was in Giyani and he had set the completion date for November 2022.
After visiting the Nandoni Dam in Thohoyandou, where the pipeline is supposed to start, Ramaphosa met with residents at the Giyani Stadium. He told them that he understood why they had lost hope in the project, but assured them that progress had been made. “I know that you are justified in your doubts. You have been disappointed and your hopes have been dashed,” Ramaphosa said.
He assured the community that more engineers were hired to fast-track the project. “Water must flow into people’s homes. If we do not meet that goal, then we must come back to the community and explain,” Ramaphosa said.
About R3bn went down the drain for the project because of corruption, while a further R1bn was invested in order to continue with construction. Ramaphosa assured the people that those responsible for looting funds from the project would be identified and held to account through ongoing investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
He was accompanied by Mchunu and premier Stan Mathabatha.
During the meeting with the community, people could not hold back their anger when Mathabatha mentioned that when the project started in 2014 they had anticipated that it would take about six months. There were murmurs in the audience and Mathathaba’s speech was disrupted throughout.
In October, the community’s anger reached boiling point, resulting in residents shutting down Giyani CBD after the government failed to meet a September deadline.
Mchunu had apologised for the missed deadlines, while blaming the delays on corruption and disagreements with traditional leaders who did not want the pipeline to run through their areas. Mchunu said since then the issues had been resolved and in about two weeks connection between Nandoni and Nsami dam would be concluded.
Amongst the work that was yet to be done when Mchunu met with the community in October was the installation of two pumps at Nandoni dam and the installation of an underground pipe, which Mchunu announced were now completed. He also said there were gaps in the pipeline where there were connections but majority of those issues had been fixed.
There only thing left is to install valves that will allow water to flow from Nandoni to Nsami. In the next two weeks the pipeline is expected to be ready for testing, while from January contractors will be in the different villages installing infrastructure that will make it possible for water to then reach households.
Mchunu said about nine cases of corruption were being investigated by the SIU in connection with the project. “We are looking forward to the reports to come out and point to specific culprits behind the disappearance of the R3bn,” he said.
At Siyandana village, just 3km from Giyani CBD, residents complained that their situation had become so desperate that they had started using containers to capture rain water so they could bath or do house chores.
Thomas Mathebula, 49, had just finished washing his work uniform using the little water he could get from the previous day’s rain when Sowetan met with him yesterday. Mathebula said nothing had changed and many months had gone by without a single drop coming from the taps in the area.
“What I believe is that as long as that Nandoni project is not working, we will continue to suffer,” Mathebula said.
Tsakisi Mkhwanazi said they used the buckets to also capture rainwater. This supplements the water they buy from local vendors, who sell 20-litre drums for R5. In a month, her family spends about R500 on water.
“I don’t think the president’s visit today makes a difference. Promises have been made before but there is still no water here,” Mkhwanazi said.
mahopoz@sowetan.co.za
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