Mchunu promises to fix water problems, including disastrous Giyani project

Water and sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu on Monday promised to fix water problems in many parts of the country. 

Addressing a press briefing, Mchunu undertook to intervene in a failed Limpopo water project which began six years ago under then water and sanitation minister Nomvula Mokonyane. The project was meant to benefit about 55 villages in the Giyani area.

Residents were promised a stable water supply as the project costs ballooned from R2.2bn to R3.2bn over the years. But to date, the taps still run dry.

With a dysfunctional Lepelle Northern Water, an errant contractor, and a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe, Mchunu pledged to finally turn the situation around for the people of Giyani.

He planned to travel to Giyani on Friday where he would meet village chiefs and the people affected by the disastrous project. 

The biggest priority is to ensure that the people finally reap the benefits of the Nandoni water project.

“We want to ensure that the pipe from Nandoni down to Giyani gets completed, once and for all, and as soon as possible,” Mchunu said.

An assessment of how much work has been done on the project and how much more still needs to be done will be followed by timelines and budgets being set out.

Water issues in Mahikeng in the North West are also being attended to, he said.

“Even there we apologise for the slow supply of water.” Apparently a pipe had to be replaced to address the issues.

Mchunu said both urban and rural water demands have to be attended to, and no village should be left out.

“We need to put in a new line, like Rand Water is doing [in Gauteng].”  

He was referring to Rand Water's huge project, started on Monday and which is expected to be completed on Wednesday.

The project involves upgrading the water system and adding a water pipe leading from the Vaal Dam, which Rand Water says it postponed in 2019 and can no longer wait. Once the job is complete, it is meant to benefit citizens for at least another 20 years.

Water projects are also under way in the Northern Cape, with ongoing meetings with private sector investors.

Mchunu said he is aware that the water situation has led to the suffering of many people, but the problems are being attended to.

“Our job is cut out for us and we are focusing on that,” he said.

Regarding the Free State, Mchunu said meetings had recently been held about water issues in the Maluti-a-Phofung municipality and “they were making progress”.

There is enough water in the area, but “the issue in the Maluti-a-Phofung municipality is they are not able to draw water from those reservoirs and reticulate it to the citizens around those areas”.

The municipality has agreed to work with Mchunu’s office to fix the problems, with 20% of issues already resolved.

Rand Water CEO Sipho Mosai has assured Gauteng residents that the ongoing water project is on track. While the first leg of the operation had been expected to take about 11 hours, it had taken only about eight hours.

“I just want to inform the members of the public that so far, we are doing pretty well, and so far, touch wood, we will complete the [project] on brief and on time,” said Mosai.

“We will continue to communicate going forward, and should anything be of need for us to communicate, we will.”

He said the project involved tying in and connecting many new pipes which would ensure that there was sufficient water infrastructure in future,

It is not anticipated that taps will run completely dry, as preparations included filling reservoirs and residents had been asked to use water sparingly during this time.

Rand Water had wanted to carry out the project in the past two years, but Covid-19, among other things, had “got in the way”.

Mchunu said this was a good time for South Africans to reflect on their water usage.

“I am saying when you shower, don’t shower as if you’re the only one, as if you will never shower again, as if you want to use all the water that is available, as if you want to empty the entire geyser just for yourself.”

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