Cape Town - Delays in the procurement process for the raising of the Clanwilliam Dam now mean that the estimated completion date of the R3.2 billion project has been pushed to April 2027.
The original deadline was March 2023, but at present the construction of the project, initially launched by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in October 2018 at a cost of R2.2bn, is still only 12% complete.
This emerged in a written reply from Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer in response to a question from Agriculture standing committee chairperson Andricus van der Westhuizen (DA).
Van der Westhuizen wanted to know the latest news on progress of the construction of the new dam wall and how the department would support the agricultural opportunities unlocked once it was complete.
The Clanwilliam Dam is part of the Olifants Doorn River water resources project and is one of the biggest and longest-standing infrastructure projects in the country.
Project partners include the DWS as well as the Lower Olifants River Water User Association, the Cederberg, Matzikama and West Coast municipalities, the Western Cape Government, Sanral and Eskom.
Last year, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia De Lille visited the site to hear about the delays for herself, and then in November 2021 Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu also visited the dam.
The process finally began moving again in April after the department’s chief financial officer clarified that the DWS had been exempted from the procurement restrictions announced by the national Treasury in February.
Meyer blamed the delays on the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 and the DWS’s procurement challenges.
“Following this delay in the procurement process and on the assumption that all key suppliers and subcontractors can be appointed by end September 2022, the construction programme of 54 months was updated with an estimated completion date set for April 2027,” Meyer said.
Meyer said the development of mega projects of Clanwilliam’s magnitude had a long-term implementation timespan and required the collaborative efforts of various government departments and the private sector.
“Construction of the Clanwilliam Dam is expected to be completed in five years and it is estimated that the completion of the secondary irrigation schemes will probably take another five to eight years.”
Meanwhile, during his budget vote speech in May, Minister Mchunu said the department would implement the R21 million Brandvlei Dam Project and that this project had an anticipated completion date of October 2022.
The project involves the construction of a feeder canal which will provide an additional 33 megalitres of water for storage in the dam.
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za