South Africa to inject US $218m into completion of the GBW Project

South Africa is set to inject US $218 to complete the long-abandoned Giyani Bulk Water (GBW) Project in Limpopo.

The Water and Sanitation Department said they are finalising the funding process with the National Treasury, for the project that was abandoned a few months ago due to non-payment from the cash-strapped department.

GWB project is a brainchild of former president Jacob Zuma, who in 2014, launched the bid to have water and sanitation services filtered into 55 villages in Limpopo. The construction company handling the project, Khato Civils, left the project unfinished after retrenching nearly 1,000 workers because of non-payment.

The area which was declared a disaster town in 2009, had been providing polluted water to the local community. This resulted to hospitalisation of the villagers at the Nkensani Hospital, diagnosed with cholera and other waterborne diseases. As a result, the appointment of a service provider to improve the poor water situation in the area was ordered.

The appointed company was charged with the responsibility of constructing new water treatment plants, several waste water treatment plants, drilling of new boreholes among other tasks.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has since taken over and said the government has turned its attention to sort out issues concerning the Giyani Water Project. This plan is expected to augment the current water supply in the town’s 55 villages and draw water from Nandoni Dam to the arid lands of Giyani.