Giyani water project still incomplete after 16 years and R4.5bn

2026-03-07 - 06:03

The protracted R4.5 billion Giyani bulk water project remains incomplete, 16 years after its inception in 2010, leaving the 55 communities in the Mopani region that are meant to benefit from it thirsty for years. The project began in August 2014 after former president Jacob Zuma had visited the drought-stricken Giyani town to hand over a purification plant. Dubbed the Giyani Bulk Water Project, this ambitious project was billed to be completed by 2017. However, many thirsty residents of Giyani are still waiting for this precious basic human need to be provided. Giyani water project: Missed deadlines and corruption The project, which began with a budget just above R500 million, stalled for years because of alleged corruption by service providers and officials from Lepelle Northern Water. From R500 million, its budget has now ballooned to more than R4.5 billion. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) told The Citizen this week that the project’s primary objective is to address the chronic water supply failures affecting Giyani and 55 surrounding villages in the Mopani district of Limpopo. “Although initial completion was targeted for 2017, the project experienced prolonged delays due to contractor underperformance, governance failures, corruption, fragmented responsibilities and insufficient integration between bulk supply, treatment and reticulation components,” said DWS spokesperson Wisane Mavasa. “From 2021 onwards, DWS strengthened national oversight and working with Mopani district municipality (which is the Water Services Authority) and Lepelle Northern Water as implementing agents, restructured the programme to focus on completing the end-to-end water supply system, ensuring that bulk infrastructure, treatment capacity and household reticulation progress in a coordinated manner,” she said. ALSO READ: Giyani Water Project nears completion as additional R3 billion needed Mavasa added that multiple projects have been implemented in Giyani, including the raw water transfer from Nandoni to Nsami, the refurbishment and upgrade of water treatment works, potable bulk water infrastructure (pipelines and reservoirs), and reticulation of potable water to household taps. She said the department has now prioritised restoring reliable raw water supply, rehabilitating and upgrading the Giyani Water Treatment Works by another 10 megalitres (ml/d), completing bulk distribution to villages and enabling phased household connections. Additional upgrade to cost R422m Despite claiming to have made significant progress, Mavasa said the Giyani Water Treatment Works needs an additional upgrade, with construction planned for the 2026/27 financial year at an estimated cost of R422 million. Mavasa added: “The Giyani Water Treatment Works was refurbished and restored to its original capacity of 30 ml/day by December 2024, after previously operating at around 15 ml/d. An additional 10 ml/d upgrade (to 40 ml/d) is at planning stage with construction planned for the 26/27 financial year at an estimated cost of R422 million. ALSO READ: Water projects worth R50bn to be constructed in Limpopo while progress on older projects stalls She said the construction of approximately 325km of bulk pipelines from Giyani Water Treatment Works to service reservoirs and the 55 villages is 92% complete. “Over 99% of pipes have been laid and pressure testing and commissioning are progressing,” she said. According to the department, the project’s estimated cost is R863 million. She said phase 1 reticulation to 23 of 24 villages is complete. The 24th village was meant to be completed by the end of February. This phase will benefit approximately 35 000 households, at an estimated cost of R1.2 billion. “Clean water is now flowing in connected households in the 23 villages. Phase 2 will connect the remaining 31 villages,” she said. However, phase 2 will only start in the 2026/27 financial year, with Mavasa saying the implementation will be phased over several years due to funding constraints. “The estimated cost for the project is R3 billion,” she added. Residents frustrated by empty promises For years, the incomplete project has been used by opposition parties to hammer the ANC, while the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) implicated some senior government officials of using the project to line their pockets. Meanwhile, thousands of residents from 55 Giyani communities are failing to experience what the government promised it would deliver. Hlopheka Shilowa, a resident of Zingi-Zingi village near Giyani, accused the government of politicking ahead of the local government elections, while residents continue to compete with wild animals for dirty water in the rivers. “We have had enough promises and it is enough. I have even lost count of DWS ministers that came here and claimed water was around the corner. My message to the ANC is that my vote is my secret, come the municipal elections later this year,” said Shilowa angrily. READ NEXT: R213m down the drain as Limpopo residents still have no water