Water utility, Lepelle Northern Water, says it has requested an additional billion rand from Treasury to complete the controversial Giyani Bulk Water Project in Limpopo.

Chairperson Ndweleni Mphephu says the additional money will be used to complete the outstanding work on the project.

The project that was initially budgeted for R240 million has now escalated to R4.2-billion.

Mphephu was addressing the media in Polokwane on Tuesday.

“We requested another one billion and then it moves to 4.2 billion. That amount meant we must finish Nandoni to Nsami, we must also finish the Giyani water services connecting with the reservoirs so that Mopani can start with reticulations. What it also included is R600 million that is needed to increase the capacity of Nandoni water treatment works.”

Delays and frustrations 

The water project has been delayed for over 14 years due to allegations of corruption and mismanagement of funds. This has left residents from 55 villages in and around Giyani without water.

Mphephu further stated that they expect the Special Investigating Unit’s probe into alleged corruption in the project to be completed soon.

“SIU is hard at work. We have engaged them during SCOPA and when SCOPA was here in April, SIU was also present and they had said they are finalising that report so that we can have access to it.”

During an oversight visit last year in September, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu had set the end of that month as the deadline for completion however, that did not come to pass.

Residents in Giyani said the deadline had not been met and were still without access to water.

In the report below, angry residents voiced their frustrations to SABC News: 

-Reporting by Vutivi Maluleke