Limpopo Premier Pleased with Presidential Oversight Visit to Giyani Bulk Water
Project
Limpopo Premier Mr. Chupu Stanley Mathabatha is pleased with the outcome of
engagement between President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa and Giyani residents on the
Giyani Bulk Water Project. President Ramaphosa spent the day, Sunday 11 December
2022, in Giyani and Nandoni observing progress made towards the conclusion of the
water project which has received major attention of the national government in the past
year and half.
Premier Mathabatha said he is excited that the issues of water are receiving attention
from the highest office in the country and greater progress has been achieved on this
project.
“We thank President Ramaphosa for the leadership he has provided to our province on
this water challenge. That he has personally come to inspect and assess the Nandoni
Ntsami Bulk Water Project, to see beyond what is written in reports, is a milestone. What
pleases us the most is that today’s engagement has a silver lining, it has a way of
restoring people’s confidence in the work that government is doing,” remarked Premier
Mathabatha.
President Cyril Ramaphosa conducted a site visit to assess progress on the Giyani Bulk
Water Project today and then had a meeting with about 6,000 community members. The
President was taken through work carried out on the project by engineers. He was
accompanied by Minister of Water and Sanitation Mr. Senzo Mchunu, Deputy Ministers
David Mahlobo of Water Affairs and Sanitation, and Ms. Pinkie Kekana of Department of
Monitoring and Evaluation.
President Ramaphosa said he is satisfied with what he has observed in carrying out the
work of solving challenges to ensure people of Giyani get water within the next few
months. He emphasized that water is a right that people of Giyani too deserve to have.
He said that despite the fact that water is a challenge across the country, there are other
challenges that are avoidable like factors that have delayed the Giyani project.
“I must say we are increasing the capacity of the state in solving problems. We have the
capacity as the state. In this project they have appointed an engineer who is ably qualified
working towards completing a PhD in the field,” said President Ramaphosa.
He said that it is the assurance of such capacity that gives him confidence that the project
will be concluded soon. It was also the attention that the Minister of Water and Sanitation
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had paid to the Giyani project that gave confidence to the President about the imminent
solution in the project. President Ramaphosa made and undertaking that he will return in
March 2023 when water is delivered on the taps of residence of Giyani to celebrate.
The project is envisaged to provide water to over 55 villages in Greater Giyani Local
Municipality, Mopani District.
