Minister Pemmy Majodina hails major progress on Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme
MEDIA STATEMENT: 08 November 2024 Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodina, has expressed strong optimism about the substantial progress made on the Lower uMkhomazi Water Scheme project, which is aimed at improving water supply to approximately 50,000 households across the eThekwini and Ugu Municipal Districts along KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast. The project is valued at over R20 billion and represents a pivotal intervention in ensuring water security for the region. Minister Majodina and Deputy Minister Sello Seitlholo, along with uMngeni-uThukela Water Board members conducted an on-site progress review of the bulk water project on Thursday, 07 November 2024. Inspecting the Goodenough Abstraction Site, which has achieved over 60% completion, Minister Majodina endorsed the progress made thus far in implementing the project. “This progress is a testament to the commitment and expertise of the appointed contractors and our entity, uMngeni-uThukela Water. The project is set to tackle longstanding water challenges for South Coast residents and secure reliable water resources for years to come,” said Minister Majodina. The Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Supply project is implemented by water utility, uMngeni-uThukela Water, and will augment water supply within eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality (Ward 99) and uMdoni Local Municipality (Ward 18). This large-scale project, which was previously hindered by delays, has gained renewed momentum as a result of the Ministry of Water and Sanitation’s proactive involvement and determination. Minister Majodina and Deputy Minister Seitlholo also conducted an oversight inspection of a construction site of the Ngwadini off-channel storage dam which is expected to be completed by December 2027. The bulk water scheme is crucial to KwaZulu-Natal’s water resilience and includes two phases. Phase 1 will focus on raw water components, including the Ngwadini and Goodenough Systems, while Phase 2 will deliver potable water infrastructure. This infrastructure will feature a 100Ml/day water treatment facility, gravity pipelines, expanded reservoir capacity, and a Green Star Administration Building. Minister Majodina stated that the overall implementation of the project signifies transformative progress toward addressing water shortages that have impacted the region since 2016. Upon completion, the uMngeni Water Supply System will increase its annual freshwater capacity from 394-million to 608-million cubic meters, securing sustainable water resources for more than 5 million people across six districts, including eThekwini, Msunduzi, uMgungundlovu, Ugu, Ilembe, and Harry Gwala. The project has helped to create temporary employment opportunities for over 380 locals and more than 100 Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) have participated in the project to date. Meanwhile, Minister Majodina has reiterated the Department’s commitment to effectively implement bulk water projects across the country, to ensure equitable water supply for all and water security to communities experiencing water supply challenges. END Issued by the Department of Water & Sanitation
Appointment of new Chief Executive for uMngeni-uThukela Water
Sandile Mkhize returns to KZN to share experience and knowledge: The new CE of uMngeni-uThukela Water is living proof that, when a village raises a child, the adult returns the blessings many-fold. In taking up the post of Chief Executive of uMngeni-uThukela Water, Sandile Mkhize is returning home to give the province of KZN the benefit of the wealth of knowledge and experience he has gained in the environmental and water services sector since he first studied, and later taught at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in the 1990s. Born in the township of KwaMakhutha in Durban, Sandile has always believed in the value of science and education to contribute to society. After completing a BSc in Chemistry and Microbiology at UKZN in 1996, Sandile added a Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology in 1997 as well as a Master’s degree in Environmental Biotechnology from the Durban University of Technology (DUT). All his knowledge was put to effective use when the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry provided him an opportunity in the Public Service sector when he was appointed as a Water Pollution Control Officer in 2000. A position as Senior Environmental Officer in the Gauteng Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs followed soon thereafter. In 2002 Mkhize joined the Development Bank of Southern Africa as an Environmental Analyst. As Sandile is always eager to learn as much as possible, further studying ensued with a focus on business administration skills. After completing the Management Advanced Programme at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2006, Sandile successfully pursed his MBA at the Milpark Business School. A move to the private sector followed in 2007 when Sandile joined Chevron, owners of the Caltex fuel brand in South Africa. There, he could merge his environmental and business acumen in his role as the company’s site remediation specialist. This position involved extensive travel throughout Africa and this experience helped Mkhize to climb the corporate ladder and gain insights into the unique challenges faced in the water and environmental spheres on the continent. Further continental experience was added during a period with AngoGold Ashanti where his management and administration skills were honed in roles involving project management while taking charge of the environmental department of a large mine in Tanzania. As is common with many in the mining sector, Sandile fell victim to the raft of mergers, right-sizing and other rationalisation measures in the sector and experienced the disruption facing retrenchment in 2013. Never one to rest on his laurels, however, he turned this experience into a positive learning opportunity and spent some time as an environmental and planning consultant to entities in the water services sector. Unsurprisingly, Mkhize’s unique blend of skills and experience was soon recognised and he was appointed as the General Manager of Magalies Water in 2014. This position was soon followed by his appointment as Chief Operating Officer of the entity. In 2016, he was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Magalies Water. During his tenure at this State-Owned Entity, he was instrumental in ensuring that the utility delivered on its mandate in the most efficient manner possible. Whilst managing his day-to-day responsibilities, he also pursued a Senior Management Program at Havard Business School in 2017. Highlights of his tenure at the entity include the growth of its asset base from R1.2 billion to its current R4.12 billion value while achieving benchmarks of above 90% against the requirements of its shareholder compact. In addition, Mkhize’s sound business administration skills and insistence on clean corporate governance standards, has seen the entity achieve annual clean audits from the Auditor General of the Republic of South Africa since 2019/20. He steered the organisation through the reconfiguration of Magalies Water with Sedibeng Water in 2022. With his wealth of chemical, environmental and business knowledge and experience predominantly in the Water Sector, Sandile Mkhize’s is certain to ensure that uMngeniuThukela Water continues to deliver on its mission to improve water and sanitation services for all communities in Kwazulu-Natal.
Media and Public Statement: Heavy Rains Prompt Water Release From Mvutshane Dam
Thursday, 23 January 2025 The recent heavy rains have significantly pushed up water levels in the Mvutshane Dam in Maphumulo under the ILembe District. The water levels at the dam have reached the 75% mark which exceeds the stipulated safe operating limits which require the Mvutshane Dam to be maintained at between 70% and 80 % of its total capacity. In order to protect the integrity of the dam structure, the excess water must be released. For this reason, uMngeni-uThukela Water will at 10am on Friday, 24 January 2025, be releasing water from Mvutshane in order to achieve the stipulated safety levels. The released water will significantly increase the levels of the Hlimbithwa and Umvoti Rivers. UMngeni-uThukela appeals to the public to practice caution and avoid crossing these rivers and low lying bridges as any attempt to do so could pose a risk of drowning or getting washed away. We further urge communities to safeguard any property, including livestock, located on riverbanks while the water releases are in progress. The release of water from the Mvutshane Dam will be stopped once the water reaches 70% or less of the dam’s storage capacity. Issued by: Office of the Chief Executive, Marketing, Communication and Stakeholder Management Unit
The Impact of the 2023 El Niño Cycle on Water Resources in uMngeni-uThukela Water’s Operational Area
The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was in an El Niño state from July 2023 to June 2024. In Southern Africa, El Niño cycles are associated with hot and dry climatic conditions. Thus, a prolonged El Niño state often leads to the occurrence of droughts in Southern Africa, which are associated with various negative socioeconomic impacts, including loss of agricultural produce, water supply shortages, disease outbreaks, etc. The 2023/24 El Niño cycle resulted in drought conditions for most of the Southern African Development Community, with countries such as Lesotho, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Malawi respectively declaring a state of national disaster due to the below-average rainfall experienced during the summer season. Similarly, South Africa generally received below-average rainfall during the 2023/2024 summer season (i.e. October to March) with the exception of December 2023, where most of the summer rainfall region received normal to above-average rainfall (Figure 1). During October 2023, the eastern-coastal parts of the country notably received above-average rainfall due to a series of cut-off low-pressure systems which brought cool and wet conditions over the coastal areas. It is important to note, however, that although the total amount of rainfall was high in October 2023, this was over a few, large single-day events in between long dry and hot spells. The driest summer months were November and February.