Water finally flows to Giyani in milestone R768 million project

There is hope for the people of Giyani to finally have water on their doorstep if the announcement by Lepelle Northern Water on the Nandoni/ Nsami Bulk Water Pipeline project is anything to go by.

Lepelle is a state-owned water utility, responsible for bulk water supply in Limpopo on behalf of the national department of water and sanitation.

The utility is also responsible for the delivery of the protracted R4.5 billion Presidential Giyani Bulk Water project.

“The pressing of a button signified the release of a welcome water gush through the 40.5km pipeline to deliver the life-sustaining resource to Giyani,” said Nndweleni Mphephu, Lepelle Northern Water Board chair.

Mphephu said the achievement was an indication that the utility was a focused and transformed, boasting an image that had been cleaned up by a formidable team built up over the past two years.

He said since the completion of Nandoni Dam in 2004, water had finally reached Nsami Dam to augment water supply in Giyani for the first time.

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The water, Mphephu said, would be treated at Nsami Water Treatment Works for reticulation to Giyani communities. “Lepelle’s business principles of reliability, collaboration and accountability have been demonstrated through the completion of this project,” he said.

The R768 million project has been marred by problems.

Work on site began on 7 March 2016, by a Sandton-based construction company called Vharanani Properties.

Due to unforeseen problems, completion of the project was delayed. Lepelle Northern Water spokesperson Yolande Nel said the project created 105 jobs.

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Meanwhile, the Mopani district municipality, which is responsible for the reticulation site of the R4.5 billion Presidential Bulk Water project, said it was all hands on deck in Giyani with more than 38 companies working every day to reticulate water to the first 24 of the 55 intended communities.

The district said reticulation on the remaining 31 villages was included in the 2014- 25 financial year.

Municipal spokesperson Odas Ngobeni confirmed the appointment of 37 companies for a R1.3 billion contract to connect the identified villages by 31 December next year.