Pressure from the Democratic Alliance (DA) has paid off, as the long-awaited Xonxa Dam water augmentation project in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality is finally moving forward again and pumping water to residents in the Komani area.
Yesterday, after 13 years of technical issues and costs exceeding R657 million, water pumping from the dam resumed, replenishing the five-megalitre reservoir and the Berry Dam.
This followed my delivery of a Member’s Statement in the Eastern Cape Legislature on 6 March 2025, which highlighted the numerous issues and setbacks the project has encountered since its inception.
In response, the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Zolile Williams, committed to prioritising the Xonxa Dam project, stating that water could start flowing from the dam to residents by April 2025.
The Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) is responsible for the provision of water and sanitation services to the Enoch Mgijima Municipality and, as the implementing agent, initiated the Xonxa Dam project in March 2012.
The more than R657 million already spent on the project excludes the ongoing costs of litigation between the CHDM and an engineering company over a 2020 pump failure, as well as the fees for the current engineers working on the project.
Previously, to ensure transparency and accountability, the DA submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application in February of this year, seeking documentation on the project. This documentation will help verify that the tender process was fair and that taxpayers’ money is being used efficiently.
The DA calls on MEC Williams and the CHDM Mayor, Cllr Lusanda Sizani, to provide transparency regarding long-term water solutions and progress on water provision to the Enoch Mgijima Municipality, as well as reticulation services for Machibini village and Illinge, which are situated near the Xonxa Dam.
We will monitor the progress of the Xonxa Dam water augmentation project until its full completion at Phase 7.
The DA will continue fighting to ensure that our people’s basic human right to access sufficient water is not jeopardised by municipal neglect and poor planning.