Dam owner given seven days to prevent Senteeko collapse

The Department of Water and Sanitation has issued an urgent safety directive to the owner of the Senteeko Dam in Mpumalanga, demanding immediate action to address serious risks to downstream communities.

The directive, served on Tuesday, under Section 118 of the National Water Act, requires Shamile CPA to develop a comprehensive plan within seven days to stabilise the structure and prevent further deterioration.

Wisane Mavasa, the department’s spokesperson, confirmed that the intervention follows extensive technical assessments, which revealed the dam remains in a precarious state.

“These conditions pose an unacceptable level of risk that cannot be adequately managed through monitoring alone,” Mavasa said.

She emphasised the department’s commitment to ensuring the dam owner fulfils their legal responsibility to maintain the structure safely.

Heightened risks during rainfall periods

The dam, officially known as My Own Dam but commonly referred to as Senteeko Dam, is currently in a compromised, partially failed condition.

Without urgent remedial action, further deterioration is likely to continue.

Mavasa stressed the gravity of the situation, noting that inaction could have devastating consequences.

“Continued deterioration of the dam poses a direct threat to downstream farming communities, including the potential loss of life, damage to homes and infrastructure,” she said.

“These risks are heightened during periods of rainfall and cannot be ignored or deferred.”

The department has made clear that despite some reduction in water levels, the risk of failure has not been eliminated.

Mavasa revealed that engineers have deliberately avoided lowering water levels too rapidly because this could trigger a rapid drawdown failure of the already weakened structure, potentially worsening the crisis.

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Seven-day deadline for assessment and remedial plan

Under the directive, the dam owner’s Appointed Professional Engineer (App) must urgently assess the dam’s condition and determine the remedial measures required to prevent further deterioration.

According to the department, these determinations must be completed and submitted to its Dam Safety Office within seven days of the directive’s issuance.

“The department expects all required engineering designs and technical submissions to be received on or before 13 February 2026, in strict accordance with the timelines set out in the directive,” Mavasa confirmed, warning that failure to comply would result in further enforcement action.

Mavasa added that once the proposed measures are approved, the dam owner will be required to commence urgent repair work immediately.

This includes appointing a competent and suitably qualified contractor to carry out all repairs under the App’s supervision.

The work must “continue until the department is satisfied that the dam no longer poses an unacceptable risk to downstream communities”.

Regulatory enforcement to remain until risk reduced

The department emphasised that its intervention represents decisive action to protect lives and livelihoods.

Mavasa stated that regulatory enforcement would remain firmly in place throughout the remediation process.

“The risk associated with the Senteeko Dam has not yet been averted, and regulatory enforcement will remain in place until that risk is meaningfully reduced,” he said.

The department has committed to prioritising all necessary regulatory approvals to ensure corrective work proceeds without delay.

“Protecting human life, property, and livelihoods downstream of the Senteeko Dam remains the department’s foremost concern.”

Non-compliance with the directive or its deadlines by the dam owner will prompt further enforcement action by the department.

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