LIMPOPO -This is according to the Lepelle Northern Water, a state owned water utility responsible for bulk water supply in Limpopo on behalf of the national Department of Water and Sanitation.
The utility’s CEO, Phineas Legodi recently said although R2,2 billion has already been used for phase one, an additional R4,5 billion was needed.
He confirmed what CV reported on in recent weeks, that the project is currently stalling due to non-payment to the project’s main contractor.
A fortnight ago, Khato Civils locked up its site and had to retrench over a 100 employees and part ways with of its 26 sub-contractors.
Legodi commented: “It must be understood that Khato Civils was contracted to deliver phase one, which deals with extracting water from the Nsami Dam to reservoirs. This included the construction of purification plants, drilling of boreholes and refurbishment of old decaying package plants into new ones among other things. Phase two involves reticulation”.
He said in an effort to address the impasse surrounding the project, government needed to move swiftly to change things in the town of Giyani.
He said during phase one, Lepelle was able to drill 16 boreholes in 16 priority villages, completed the Nkensani ground water augmentation, constructed the Giyani Waste Water Treatment Works which was previously spilling waste into the water, refurbished the old waste treatment plant, refurbished the Morogholo transfer sewer pump station, refurbished the Khanyisa booster pump station, refurbished the old Nsami Water Treatment Plant and the Kremertart high and lower reservoirs among other things.
Recently, locals requested with the Premier, Stanley Mathabatha to intervene in the payment dispute, and ordered him to ensure that phase two kicks off as soon as possible.
Some residents in Makoxa village threatened to boycott the 2019 general election if the department fails to settle their outstanding debt with Khato Civils.
Chairperson for the Giyani Business Forum, Patrick Ritshuri said the sooner phase two is implemented, the better.
Recently, stakeholders from the department, Limpopo Provincial Government, and Lepelle Northern Water briefed Minister Gugile Nkwinti in Pretoria about plans to save the project from the brink of collapse.
The briefing comes after the President Cyril Ramaphosa is said to have ordered Nkwinti to come up with a plan that would prevent the project from collapsing.
The project was initiated by former President Jacob Zuma in 2014 and was commissioned by former minister Nomvula Mokonyane in August of the same year.
It started with a budget of R502 million but the scope of work over the years has ballooned to R3,5 billion.
Last week residents in Giyani complained that in spite of the budget, their lives had not improved as they were still competing water with wild animals.
The DA and the EFF in the province agreed that money should be put aside for the cause of water in Giyane.
Khato Civils CEO, Mongezi Mnyani confirme to CV that the company has already connected 95% of the 324 km of pipelines to the reservoirs and that if the department pays the company R44 million owed to them, they will go on site and complete the project.
