September deadline for bulk water will be met

Although work on the so-called Giyani Bulk Water Project had come to a standstill in recent years, 77.4% of the work has now been completed. The final date for completion is in September this year and it is expected to benefit about 55 villages (a population of more than 240 000 people) in Giyani.

Mchunu visited the sites where the laying of the pipelines from Nandoni Dam to Nsami is currently underway. The project is led by the Department of Water and Sanitation through Lepelle Northern Water Board. The raw water bulk supply pipeline was promised to the people of Giyani years ago but work never started despite funds being made available for the project.

“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 when the project was hopeless and was not moving forward at all.” 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 plant 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 in the villages.

Also read: Minister says Giyani residents will get water

Mopani District Municipality (MDM) 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 areas of habitation. There is also rehabilitation and refurbishment of Giyani Water Treatment Works, which produces 36 million litres per day.

Mchunu emphasised that water should be reticulated to households. He said it is important to prioritise water reticulation in communities up to their homes. Communal systems will mainly be considered for the mushrooming informal settlements, he said. During the visit, Mchunu visited communities in Giyani that voiced their frustrations regarding the promises made to deliver water to their area.

He assured community members that the Giyani Bulk Water Project is currently on the 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 the government as a whole.

“But we are determined to make sure this project brings water to Giyani and the reticulation should also be to your households,” he concluded.