Green light for long-awaited dam project to empower local communities
IT’S all systems go for the raising of the Clanwilliam Dam wall to start on October 8 this year, in tandem with the directives earlier this year of new Water and Sanitation Minister Gugile Nkwinti.
During his visit to the dam in April, Nkwinti issued a raft of instructions to his department officials which included that the Clanwilliam Dam project, which had been held in abeyance for eight years, be started within five months.
The dam would have its wall raised by 13m so it can harvest more water to cater for all consumers of the Clanwilliam area, including emerging farmers, who have had their 25 000 hectares of land reinstituted by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in the Ebenezer land claim.
During a meeting over the weekend, department officials told the minister there were minor outstanding issues such as legal requirements and obtaining a construction permit. The environmental control officer should also be on site.
However, everything was now in place for the project to start: “We don’t want any stoppages. The Construction Unit is waiting to start,” the national project manager said.
Nkwinti had instructed that the construction of the dam wall be done internally. Head of the Western Cape regional office Rashid Khan asked Nkwinti to personally officiate at the commencement of the Clanwilliam Dam Project ceremony on October 8.
The long-awaited project will also entail the construction of water canals, construction work below the dam and the removal of alien vegetation.
During the construction process, the national project manager in Pretoria will be responsible for strategic issues pertaining to construction, the Western Province office will take care of all tactics needed for the project to succeed, while the municipality will be tasked with operations of the project.
Nkwinti reiterated his stance that the Water and Sanitation Department would work with the Western Cape provincial government on the Clanwilliam Dam Project until it was completed.
During the meeting, Nkwinti emphasised that the government infrastructure projects should generate economic activities to socially uplift the local communities.
“Don’t outsource all the work of the government infrastructure projects; instead, use the local communities. We want proper empowerment of the people,” Nkwinti said.
He said the procurement process for the department infrastructure projects should be based on the budget policy speech which was approved by Parliament.
The budget policy speech stipulated that there should be a review of delegation of powers with a view to reactivating and rebuilding the Construction Unit towards the formation of a state-controlled construction company that has a 51% shareholding, while the historically disadvantaged individuals such as the women and the youth would have a 30% stake and the remaining 19% be reserved for direct investment from private companies.
Nkwinti said the Clanwilliam Dam project was part of the Stimulus Package of President Cyril Ramaphosa that was intended to reinvigorate the economy of the country.
The project is bankable because it would, when completed, benefit the surrounding communities and would also generate money, the meeting heard.
The banks would be able to assist with the financing of the project because it would generate socioeconomic dividends that would include unlocking land reform projects and uplifting emerging farmers in the Clanwilliam area, Nkwinti said.
The meeting heard that Clanwilliam Dam water prices should be adjusted to accommodate the emerging farmers.
In addition, particular attention should be paid to safety during the construction work.
The minister pointed out that the project would serve as a model on which future dam infrastructure projects would be based.
The Department of Water and Sanitation should be champions of the empowerment of communities, Nkwinti added.
The decision of the department to commence the project in October comes on the eve of the Nkwinti and Deputy Minister Pamela Tshwete leaving the department to promote the betterment of the country’s water supplies and sanitation overseas.
Nkwinti will, this week, visit the world’s second-biggest economy, China, together with the president’s entourage, while his deputy is headed for Sweden for World Water Week.
When Nkwinti took over the cash-strapped Water and Sanitation Department earlier this year, he announced that he would prioritise the Clanwilliam Dam project, the Giyani wastewater project in Limpopo and the Mokolo crocodile project during this financial year.
In his Budget speech, which was accepted by the National Assembly, Nkwinti has reprioritised several projects for which he also budgeted..
In spite of the dire financial situation of his department and the various disruptive impediments that welcomed him to his new department, Nkwinti has used his vast public administration experience to raise the necessary funds to kick-start the water and sanitation projects he had publicly promised the nation he would undertake.
It is clear that nothing will stop Nkwinti from accomplishing his patriotic ambitions of turning around our water and sanitation department in order to deliver sufficient quality water and decent sanitation for our people.