16 Sep 2020

Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila, says construction of Kanye  sanitation scheme is planned to be completed in March 2023.

Responding to a question in Parliament on September 15, Mr Mzwinila said contract for the construction of Kanye  sanitation scheme commenced in October 2015 and was initially planned to be completed by March 2019.

He said funds were not availed at beginning of the contract until the 2016 budget, hence extending the project completion by six months to September 2019.

The project completion date was extended again to March 2023  due to prevalence of rocks  in Kanye.

Minister Mzwinila said a geotechnical assessment conducted by Africon consultants at pre construction stage anticipated eight per cent of the total excavation to  be a rock against  30 per cent of the sewage works that was   completed by September 2019.

He said estate construction reported possibility of more rock existence than the anticipated eight per cent.

The project, he said, was at 67.5 per cent completion with civil works completed in all three lift stations, eight pump stations, three vacuum stations and treatment works, adding that the electrical works were 45 per cent complete and the mechanical installations would follow suite.

He said the total length of pipeline to be laid was about 412.2 kilometres and approximately 160.3 kilometers had been laid leaving a balance of 251.9 kilometres.

He attributed another impediment to lack of source of burrow material for back filling material since there was no nearby burrow pit  in Kanye neighbourhood, hence sourcing burrow material from commercial sources in Lobatse.

Mr Mzwinila state that the two factors that caused extension of completion date had been time consuming and the attendant cost to the project construction was P1.1 billion and the extension additional cost on rock excavation was P661 .8 million with burrow material at P132.2 million.

“It is worth nothing that the original amount for the project construction sum was P707 million and has now come to P1.9 billion,” said Minister Mzwinila.

The process of compensation of affected properties, he said, was an ongoing exercise and only 40 per cent of the affected plots had been assessed and 598 property owners were paid while 38 rejected their compensation.

He said P5.2 million had been paid out noting that assessment of properties was carried out progressively in consultation with the land board and the ministry continued to liaise with Ngwaketse Land Board to bring the property owners for negotiation.

Minister Mzwinila further stated that the contractor received his last payment in October 2019 and decided to slow down the works by retrenching 60 per cent of personnel in February 2020.

He said re-engaging of the labour was an ongoing exercise and workers were recruited as more fronts were  open with 70 per cent of the staff been recalled with priority given to those who were retrenched.

Kgalagadi South MP, Mr Sam Brooks had asked the minster to explain when the Kanye sewage project would be completed and to state if the date varied from the original dates, if so, the Tsabong legislator  asked the minister  to state the costs implicated.ENDS