South Africa plans to construct a US $320m dam that will be located in Limpopo as from March 2020. This initiative will help address the long-term water and sanitation needs of the country.
Water and Sanitation Minister, Gugile Nkwinti, confirmed the reports and said the department is planning to appoint contractors for the roads and advanced works which Gugile pointed out as a subject to the availability of funding and the finalization of certain land matters.
Also Read:Â South Africa to address water issues through major dam projects: PICC
The Nwamitwa dam
The Nwamitwa dam will be built downstream of the confluence of the Greater Letaba and Nwanedzi rivers and is expected to be complete by 2026.
It is envisaged that a dam at the Nwamitwa site will have a storage capacity of 187-million cubic metres and will increase the firm yield from the river system for domestic use by 14-million cubic metres annually.
The development of the mega dam will also bring relief to local commercial farmers, who currently produce about 90% of South Africa’s tomatoes, 40% of its avocados and mangoes, and 20% of its bananas.
Construction of other dams
The country also plans construction of other dams including the dam on the Mzimvubu River in the Eastern Cape, the expansion of the Clanwilliam Dam in the Western Cape, the Hazelmere Dam in Kwazulu-Natal and the Polihali Dam in Lesotho, which will provide water to Gauteng.
