Infrastructure & Utilities
Task team established to work on Metz Dam rehabilitation
Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Judith Tshabalala has ordered the establishment of a task team to ensure the Metz Dam in Limpopo is rehabilitated. Tshabalala visited Ga-Sekororo on Thursday, 29 June, to assess the state of the dam amid safety concerns.
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The Metz Dam is classified as a Category II Dam with a safety risk in terms of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act no 36 of 1998). It is situated on the farm Metz 75 in Ga-Sekororo within the Mopani District Municipality, falling under the Olifants Water Management Area.
Prior to the site visit, the deputy minister held a meeting with the Limpopo provincial government where a task team was established to work towards the rehabilitation of the dam.
“A service provider was just appointed recently, and we need to give them space to do their job the best way they know how, but we need to move with speed to have this matter sorted. We are working on very short timelines where the contractors must do their research and come back and tell us what they found,” Tshabalala said.
Criminal case ongoing
The department opened a criminal case against Limpopo Department in December 2021, after it failed to positively respond to directives concerning the dam and the risks it poses to downstream communities.
The deputy minister said no study has necessitated the demolishing of the dam, and that other avenues need to be explored for the rehabilitation of the dam.
“It no longer serves as irrigation only, people are using it for other uses, including a hospital that takes water from the dam, treats it and uses it. We should not be hasty to say it should be demolished due to the serious use of the dam,” she said.