Another Delay for Clanwilliam Dam Project

Dear Editor

In a written reply to my parliamentary question, the provincial Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the national government has once again made no progress with the Clanwilliam Dam project. The project, which is meant to increase the dam capacity, has been pushed back by an extra year and is estimated to be completed by April 2026 – 12 years after the project was first launched.

After nearly 8 years of idleness, the lack of urgency to deal with this crucial project is most disappointing. It has been more than four months since the letter I sent to President Ramaphosa has gone unanswered. In his capacity as the Chairperson of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission, the President has the authority and powers to expedite the construction work and treat this project with the urgency it deserves. The fact that he has chosen to neither reply nor announce any changes means that the construction progress will remain in limbo with only 12% of the project having been completed.

Not for the first time, the national Department of Water and Sanitation has cited procurement challenges as the reason for the persistent delays. Last year, the Department used the same excuse when the project was delayed by two years. Of the 17 national bids advertised by the Department, only 2 tender bids have been concluded. As these bids are regarded as non-critical, the construction cannot go forward as planned. This, coupled with the ongoing process to appoint the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) as the implementing agent, has resulted in the completion date being revised once again.

MPP Van der Westhuizen says: “These recent events show a national government in perpetual crisis. The procurement challenges in the Clanwilliam Dam project are a mere microcosm of the general supply chain management issues created by an ANC-led administration. I therefore implore the President to prioritise improving government processes ahead of his State of the Nation Address next month. For too long have public sector inefficiencies undermined recovery and growth in our country”.

Regards

Andricus van der Westhuizen, MPP
DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning

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