Fresh calls have been made for the abandoned Giyani Bulk Water Project to resume immediately after a boy drowned at the construction site. The six-year-old fell into a trench that was left open allegedly by Khato Civils. The boy was reportedly playing with his friends in the neighbourhood when he fell into the water on Saturday 12 January.
The Water and Sanitation Department says that it is finalising the funding of the project.
Fresh calls have been made for the abandoned Giyani Bulk Water Project to resume immediately after a six-year-old boy drowned at the construction site.
Image credit: eNCA
The R3-billion project, launched by former President Jacob Zuma in 2014 to address water shortages in the area, was abandoned a few months ago due to non-payment from the cash-strapped department.
The project was meant to supply water to 55 villages in the Giyani area. The construction company handling the project, Khato Civils, left the project unfinished due to non-payment and after having to retrench almost 1 000 people two years ago.
The department's media liaison director, Sputnik Ratau, says that towards the end of 2018 the department concluded funding for the last part of the project. “There was an intention to actually finalise the funding for the final project as the department working around the funding in consultation with the National Treasury, our regional office as well as our implementing region,” says Ratau.
Says Mopani Municipality 's spokesperson Witness Tiva, "What we want to see at the end of the day is for that project to be completed and be handed over to us so that we can start supply water to our communities.”
But Khato Civil's Mongezi Mnyani says as soon as they receive the money, work can resume.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the national government has intervened and government has turned its attention to sort out issues concerning the Giyani Water Project.
Speaking at the Moses Mabhida Stadium at the weekend during the African National Congress (ANC) election manifesto launch, Ramaphosa said, “I think of our people in Giyani who are still waiting for better water to flow through their taps; that we’ll also do. This we’ll do as we grow the economy of our country.”
Source: Building and Construction News
