Intensified efforts to get the Clanwilliam Dam Project back on track

“Some things that happened we do not like. We should have completed the work already, there have been failures since the decision was taken. We do not want to be derailed in our work”. These are among the words that Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu chose to use in his address to stakeholders following his oversight session yesterday at the Clanwilliam Dam project.

During the stakeholders’ engagement local business leaders, Water and Sanitation Forums, and the farmers of West Coast made an impassioned plea to Minister Mchunu to unblock challenges relating to the raising of the dam wall and ensure that all stakeholders will benefit from the project.

The raising of the Clanwilliam Dam wall is the second biggest infrastructure project being undertaken in the Western Cape and is part of the Olifants River Water(link is external) Resources(link is external) Project(link is external), valued at about R4-billion.  The project(link is external) entails raising the dam wall by 13 m. The accrued benefits of the project include:

Creation of much-needed jobs for residents, especially during the construction phase

Increased water yields for West Coast resource-poor farmers

Developing skills that will enhance the abilities of locals beyond the project

The Department of Water and Sanitation is acutely aware of the inconvenience caused by delays in this project and will work hard to speed up construction. Mchunu assured stakeholders that the DWS is committed to resolving challenges related to the project’s implementation. He further said the project team will also look for ways to reduce project time without compromising project integrity.

“Water is Life, Sanitation is Dignity”

Source: Government of South Africa