R19.7bn Limpopo pipeline gets a site inspection as Lephalale waits for water

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Deputy Minister David Mahlobo will inspect construction sites on the second phase of the Mokolo and Crocodile Water Augmentation Project in Limpopo on Tuesday, the department has said.

The R19.7 billion project, known as MCWAP-2A, is intended to strengthen bulk raw water supply to Lephalale and the surrounding areas through a pipeline of roughly 140km carrying water from the Crocodile River. The works include an abstraction weir, the transfer pipeline, pump stations and associated infrastructure, a river management system and an operational control centre.

Once complete, the project is meant to give major economic users an additional bulk raw water source. Those users are named as Eskom’s Medupi and Matimba power stations and Exxaro’s Grootegeluk mine, along with commercial and industrial users. The department also expects the project to strengthen bulk water infrastructure in the Waterberg District Municipality and to support communities there that depend on reliable water supplies.

“The purpose of the oversight visit is to assess progress on this strategic water infrastructure project, which is critical to strengthening long-term water security and supporting economic and industrial activity in the district,” the Department of Water and Sanitation said.

The delegation is due to inspect construction progress, engage project teams and stakeholders on implementation challenges, and identify interventions needed to keep implementation on track. The programme begins with a walkabout at the pipeline-laying works, including Section 6, before moving to Thabazimbi to inspect the Left Bank Abstraction Works, including jet grouting works and the Tocolite site.

The project is being implemented by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority, the department’s entity responsible for financing and implementing bulk raw water infrastructure.

The department said the visit would give the delegation a chance to assess the work underway and how the project will contribute to the district’s future water security. The document gives no completion date for MCWAP-2A and does not say what progress has been recorded so far. What it sets out is the inspection itself, and the department’s stated intention to find and fix what is holding the work back.

This report is based on the SAnews (South African Government News Agency) summary of the department’s announcement, published at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/majodina-assess-progress-r197bn-limpopo-water-project, rather than on the department’s full statement or project records.