Giyani water project nears completion, residents sceptical
The Giyani Water Reticulation Project nears 90% completion, but residents dispute claims, citing taps without water and vandalised infrastructure.
LIMPOPO – The Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, released a statement on Thursday following Cabinet meetings held on July 22 and August 6, highlighting several government priorities, including the ongoing water crisis in Giyani, Limpopo.
According to the statement, the Giyani Water Reticulation Project, which involves the construction of 325km of bulk pipelines from the Giyani Water Treatment Works (WTWs), including service reservoirs, to supply water to 55 villages, is nearing completion.
The project is reportedly 90.23% complete, with full completion expected in September 2025. The first phase of the project, which includes the reticulation and installation of household metered connections in 24 of the 55 villages, is said to be nearly finished, with only one village left.
“This project has 23 out of the 24 villages completed with reticulation and household connections,” Ntshavheni said. According to her statement, Risinga View, one of the new sections in Giyani under Phase 1, was completed at the end of July.
However, residents in the area dispute this, saying they have not seen a single drop of water, and that most of the newly installed taps have already been vandalised.
“How can the government claim that the project was completed in July when we haven’t seen a single drop of water from the newly installed taps?” asked Edith Baloyi, a concerned resident of Risinga View.
“It’s frustrating because they came, dug up the ground, installed the pipes and taps, and left, but nothing has come out of them since.
Apart from that, many of the taps have already been vandalised. Most of them, if not all, have had their heads completely removed,” she added, pointing to a damaged tap near her yard.
When asked for clarity on the matter and to explain how the Mopani District Municipality was responding to the vandalism, municipal spokesperson Odas Ngobeni avoided the question. Despite acknowledging receipt of the media inquiry, his only response was: “Noted.” He then went silent and never followed up with an explanation.
Meanwhile, Phase 2a of the project, which covers 15 additional villages, is expected to be implemented during the 2025/26 financial year. Phase 2b, covering the remaining 16 villages, is planned for the “outer” year of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), meaning the third year of the government’s three-year budget cycle.
The minister’s statement also indicated that plans to upgrade the Giyani WTWs from 30 mega-litres per day to 40 mega-litres, along with the development of several well fields, are still in the planning stage.
She said implementation was expected in the third quarter of the current financial year, once the Implementation Readiness Study (IRS) has been finalised.
“Hopefully, this will be the last intervention by the department in Giyani to improve water supply to the 55 villages and the town,” she said.
