Dam costs 26 times original estimates

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has announced a massively increased price tag for the Eastern Cape's long said the government would invest R12.45-billion in the project, and that construction was to start in November.

In February 2012, the project's chief engineer Menard Mugumo reportedly announced that the estimated price would only be R470- million. But on Friday, Zuma announced the tantalising new deal for the impoverished area where government research found only 40% of people were economically active.

Zuma was on a charm offensive to capture the hearts of rural Eastern Cape voters as election day approaches. He conducted a sod-turning ceremony for the Mzimvubu Catchments Project in Mhlontlo.

The project includes the construction of two multi-purpose dams, Ntabelanga and Laleni, along the Tsitsa river, which is a tributary of the Mzimvubu. The dam would become the 10th largest in the country and store about 490-million cubic metres of water.

The Laleni dam would be used for hydro-power, and could generate 35 megawatts of base power or up to 180 megawatts of peaking power when operated jointly with the Ntabelanga dam. The project would create about 6700 jobs a year during the construction phase and 6500 jobs a year when in operation.

It would supply about 720000 households with water.

The construction of the Ntabelanga dam would begin in November, to be completed by February 2018, while work on the Laleni hydro- power scheme would start in 2016-17.

On Thursday, Zuma officially opened a R67-million Graaff-Reinet education district office before attending a rally were he was welcomed by more than 2000 screaming residents.

He also spent a day meeting locals, christening government projects in Elliot and Mhlontlo last week. - Abongile Mgaqelwa