Pretoria - The embattled Lepelle Northern Water utility is confident that the Giyani Bulk Water Project will be completed by September.
The project, in limbo since 2014, has wasted about R3.2 billion and was meant to provide clean water to the taps of about 55 villages in and around Giyani in Limpopo.
Part of the plan was to build a 320km pipeline from the Nandoni Dam to the villages.
However, the project stalled due to allegations of corruption.
Matters came to a head when chief executive Phineas Legodi resigned amid allegations of fraud and corruption relating to the awarding of a multimillion-rand waste management contract involving the collapsed project.
However, its new board chairperson, Dr Ndweleni Mphephu, has vowed that the project is now in full swing and will be completed by the end of September.
Mphephu was appointed in August last year and has been at the helm for six months.
He was speaking exclusively to the Pretoria News at the water utility’s offices in Polokwane this week.
Mphephu said: “The Giyani Bulk Water Project and its construction will be completed by the end of September and I’m confident of that.
“We are getting status reports every week in terms of the project, so we are able to detect any problems early and fix them early,” Mphephu added.
The Pretoria News had previously reported that the utility needed an additional R1bn to complete the project despite having wasted R3.2bn.
Mphephu confirmed that Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has approved the funds and the project should continue.
“We needed R492 million more, which was approved by the minister (Mchunu) and was allocated so we can complete the project.
“We needed another R600m to upgraded the Nandoni treatment plant to ensure that we have enough water when we are done with the project,” Mphephu said.
According to him, the mystery of what happened to the R3.2bn is in the hands of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
“We are currently having an SIU investigation regarding the money that went missing.
“We are now waiting for the SIU to finalise as to what happened there. The last investigation we had with the SIU was in November last year, but they are in their conclusion stage in terms of the report.
“The biggest challenge now is to bring back the confidence of the people. Because of past sins people don’t trust Lepelle any more. Irrespective of whatever we do, people still believe that Lepelle is corrupt,” Mphephu said.
Nine employees have been placed on precautionary suspension because of the Giyani water project.
Three Lepelle officials, including Legodi, have since appeared in court following their arrest in connection with alleged tender fraud of R45m involving waste management.
Limpopo’s capital, Polokwane, has experienced water woes in recent years, with the water utility bemoaning ageing infrastructure and the high demand from the citizens of the city.
However, Mphephu revealed that Mchunu has also approved a R1.4bn refurbishment project that will run over three years to address Polokwane’s water issues.
“R1.4bn has been approved to unlock water from Ebenezer Dam to Polokwane to service the demand,” he said.
Pretoria News