LIMPOPO – Mopani District has finally been appointed as the implementing agent to continue Phase 2 of the Water Reticulation Project in Giyani, with an estimated total cost of R1.5 billion over three financial years.

R1.5 billion project to roll out in phases

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Mopani District Member of the Mayoral Committee, Lucky Mohlala during a joint 2026/27 IDP and budget public participation outreach programme, co-hosted by the district municipality and the Greater Giyani Municipality.

“I’m happy to announce that Mopani District has officially been appointed as the implementing agent for Phase 2 of the Giyani Water Reticulation Project,” Mohlala announced.

Funding spread over three years

He explained that the scale of the project requires a multi-year approach and that it would start with Phase 2A, followed by Phase 2B and subsequent phases.

“You must understand that this is a major project that cannot be completed within a single financial year.

“The total cost is estimated at around R1.5 billion, but since the full amount is not immediately available, they are going to split the money over three years, starting with R501 million for the coming financial year, beginning in July,” he said.

Residents raise concerns over Phase 1

However, residents at the gathering disagreed with Mohlala’s assessment that Phase 1 was complete, pointing to several villages where work remains unfinished. Gezani Sithole, a former ward councillor in the area, highlighted specific challenges.

“We have a steel tank in Mninginisi village which the community cannot get water from due to low pressure,” he said. He also pointed to several other villages, including Khakhala villages, which faced similar challenges. Meanwhile, Risinga View in Giyani was also cited as not yet complete.

Mopani responds to “practical completion” concerns

In response, Mohlala clarified that the district is well aware of the remaining work from Phase 1 and is actively working to resolve it.

“Regarding Phase 1 of the Giyani Water Reticulation Project, I understand that some people misunderstood  my earlier remarks when I said it was practically complete. ‘Practical completion’ simply means the project is there, but there are a few snags that need to be addressed before the project can be regarded as 100 percent complete,” he explained.

Pressure issues to be addressed in villages

Mohlala acknowledged further challenges in villages such as Ndindani and Hlomela, where residents say elevated water tanks have been installed in high-lying areas, but water still does not reach households.

“In some of these cases, the problem can be solved by installing pressure pumps. These are the types of issues included in the snag list, and we are aware of them and working to resolve them,” he said as he assured community members that snags in phase one would be resolved.