Government has spent about R500m on the long-awaited Umzimvubu Water Project, which is now about 15% complete and expected to cost R9.63bn.
Water & sanitation minister Pemmy Majodina revealed the expenditure during an oversight visit to the Eastern Cape on Thursday, saying progress was being made on the multibillion-rand project after decades of delays.
Majodina, accompanied by deputy ministers David Mahlobo and Jack Bloom, inspected work at the Ntabelanga project site at Sqhungqwini near Nqanqarhu in the Joe Gqabi district.
“There has been some progress now but there are still delays.
"The river has been moved to the side.
"A tunnel has been constructed so that when the construction of the dam is being done, the water can flow underground,” she said.
“There is not enough soil on this side, most of it is on the side of Emampondomiseni, which means it will be necessary to cross the river to get it.
"As such, a bridge is being constructed to enable the collection of soil on that side.”
Majodina said rocks would also be crushed to provide a firm foundation for the Ntabelanga Dam.
“We are happy, as the department, that we have spent R500m of the R8bn to R9bn we are getting from the minister of finance for the dam.
“But we still need to speak with the people to sign, we need a community consensus.
"When we move people from here, we have to check on the value of their houses because we do not want people to find themselves living in poverty after they had to be relocated to make way for the dam.”
The project has faced delays over the years, including community and legal disputes involving land compensation and local employment.
According to the latest project briefing, overall progress stands at about 15%, with construction of the dam at 4% and access roads at about 33%.
Excavation of the dam foundations are underway on the right bank of the Tsitsa River, while site establishment and river diversion work are progressing.
The Umzimvubu Water Project has been in the pipeline for more than 50 years and is regarded as a strategic national water infrastructure development intended to unlock one of the country's major undeveloped water resources.
The current phase includes construction of the Ntabelanga Dam, access roads and a localised water supply system.
The broader scheme is intended to provide domestic and irrigation water and support hydropower generation, with communities in the Joe Gqabi, OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo districts expected to benefit.
Ntabelanga, on the Tsitsa River, will have a capacity of about 490-million cubic metres and is expected to supply water to 55,985 households in the OR Tambo district alone.
The dam will extend between several villages in the Mhlontlo and Elundini municipalities, making the relocation and compensation of affected households a critical part of the project.
The water & sanitation department has previously said construction of the dam was expected to be completed by March 2030.
Alfred Nzo district mayor Tsileng Sobuthongo, who accompanied the ministers, said the project was strategically important to the district because of its potential to improve water security and stimulate economic development.
The project is also expected to create more than 6,000 construction jobs annually, providing opportunities in rural communities where unemployment is high and many households depend on social grants.
When the Dispatch visited communities near the planned Ntabelanga Dam in 2024, residents said they hoped the development would bring desperately needed employment.
Sixolile Kethelo, then 32, of Sinxaku village, said he depended largely on the government's R350 social relief of distress grant to survive.
Vuyisa Nomanqina, of Lalini village in Qumbu, had already been involved in the project for a decade, having worked as a community liaison officer since 2014.
“Our province is one of those with high unemployment and it’s largely rural, with a number of people dependent on grants.
"They are looking to the government to help them with opportunities like these,” he said.
For communities surrounding the project, however, its progress also brings the prospect of disruption as households make way for infrastructure.
Majodina said the government had to ensure residents were not left worse off by relocation, with affected properties properly valued before people were moved.
Her comments come as construction enters a more intensive phase, with the river diversion and foundation work laying the groundwork for the main dam wall.