Some residents of Giyani in Limpopo are sceptical about getting water. This comes after Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu said they would have to wait until the middle of next month to receive water from the delayed multi-billion-rand Giyani bulk water project.
The project, which started in 2010, has faced several delays due to alleged maladministration and corruption.
It was initially budgeted for R90 million but the figure has sky-rocketed to over R3 billion.
The aim of the project is to cater for more than 55 villages.
Residents say they have lost hope.
One of them says, “We are not sure as to whether this project will come to an end or the completion of the project will be seen by the people who are living now, maybe those who are coming, which we do not know who they are, but for us who are living now, we see no reason to be sure as to this project to be completed.”
“The very same Minister who came here promised us that by September 2023, the people of Giyani would have water, he decided to run away for a very long time until he came back with the President during December 2023 and promised again the date of March 2024, which did not happen if you can check. Even the President is not interested to talk about the Giyani project because they are lying to us.”
Mchunu says the first phase of the project will include water reticulation to 24 villages.
He says, “They are saying that on the 14th of May and we are holding them to the 14th, the contractor and Mopani, but we are on the neck sitting on Mopani that on the 15th in the morning, this thing must be completed, every other aspect so that once this treatment plant is functional and optimal in terms of the volumes that it produces, it is then that we would be able to say with confidence that reticulation will take place.”
