Illegal pipeline claims at Peppadew Nkowankowa plant probed
A pipeline linking Peppadew’s plant to Nkowankowa Water Works has sparked controversy, with questions raised over its legality and municipal approval.
TZANEEN – A water pipeline connecting the Peppadew International agro-processing plant in the Nkowankowa Industrial Park (NIP) allegedly to the Nkowankowa Water Works (NWW) has come under scrutiny, prompting questions on its legality.
This comes amid growing frustration in Nkowankowa over basic service delivery, marked by recent community protests over electricity and water shortages.
DA Cllr Lebeus Ramalepe of Mopani District Municipality (MDM) raised concerns to the Herald on Monday, April 14, alleging that Peppadew had established a direct pipeline from the municipal water works to its facility without proper authorisation. Ramalepe described the approximate 3km pipeline as a shock discovery that was relayed to him by Nkowankowa residents.
In a formal letter to the MDM, Ramalepe requested clarity from MDM on whether Peppadew had submitted a written application for the connection and pledged to raise the matter in the next council meeting.
Peppadew’s human resources executive, Helgard de Villiers, responded to the allegations on Tuesday, April 22, explaining that the pipeline project was initiated three years ago following a visit by then-Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Pinky Kekana. During the visit, tenants of the industrial park, including Peppadew, highlighted the unreliable municipal water supply, which had forced the company to spend millions sourcing alternative water to keep operations running.
“Peppadew employs over 5 000 people in peak season. Without a reliable water supply, those jobs were at risk,” said De Villiers.
“The minister and other stakeholders agreed that supplying raw water directly from the river to the park was a sustainable solution. This would also allow more treated municipal water to be directed toward residential areas.”
According to De Villiers, the pipeline is part of a government-funded project managed by the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA) and the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA). Peppadew, he said, has agreed to treat the raw water at its own expense to meet food safety standards, and emphasised that the line is not connected to the existing municipal potable water supply used by residents.
De Villiers also stated that Peppadew had offered to operate the treatment plant during its off-season to support residential water needs.
“This project is still incomplete. At no point was there a direct, unauthorised connection to the water works,” he added.
When contacted for comment, MDM spokesperson Odas Ngobeni said the municipality would investigate the matter and provide further information in due course.
