Ncwabeni Dam construction begins January 2025

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22-03-2024
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South Coast Herald
Source

Speaking at the engagement session, Ugu municipal manager said the contractor will start work on the Ncwabeni Dam in January 2025.

Although Ugu District Municipality said it was ready to begin the construction of the Ncwabeni Dam several years ago, Ugu’s acting municipal manager said the construction will begin in January 2025.

The acting municipal manager, Vela Mazibuko, said this during an engagement session with traditional leaders held at Margate Hotel last Friday.

Umgeni Water’s Angus Nicoll had previously said that the off-channel storage dam would be able to store water during the high-flow season for use during the low-flow season.
Nicoll said the dam will also be able to relieve the Mhlabashane Dam.

Speaking at the engagement session, Mazibuko said the contractor will start work in January 2025, saying that engineers are currently on site assessing the environment.

“The construction of the Ncwabeni Dam is anticipated to be completed in 2030, and thereafter, the areas of Umzumbe and Oshabeni will never experience water issues. We are now experiencing an issue we have never had before in Margate. This issue is affecting Ramsgate North and South.”

“Water supply from Ugu Sports and Leisure does not get to Margate and surrounding areas. A team is currently investigating why water is not reaching those areas. We cannot have problems like this because Margate not having water is a huge risk. The fall of the Margate economy will hit the entire South Coast,” he said.

The chairperson of Amakhosi in Ugu, Inkosi Mbuso Ngcobo, said people living under traditional leaders are suffering without water.

He said in an area in Umdoni, boreholes were installed in 2016, however, these boreholes are no longer working, and the area is still without water.

The mayor of Ugu District Municipality, Sikhumbuzo Mqadi, admitted that there were still problems, adding that there has been progress when it comes to water supply.

“We must work together to solve these water problems, Amakhosi are aware of our projects. There are upcoming projects that will solve those problems. When we finish them, these will be problems of the past,” he said.

Meanwhile, the engagement session was attended by traditional leaders from the Ugu District, Saps, Department of Health, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Electoral Commission of South Africa, and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

A sentiment shared by the Saps during the session was that Amakhosi need to allow Izinduna to work with the police to curb crime in their respective areas.