Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has committed to quarterly oversight visits to the R19.7 billion Mokolo-Crocodile Water Augmentation Project Phase 2A (MCWAP-2A) to monitor progress and ensure delivery on time and within budget.

The Minister made the commitment during an oversight visit hosted by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) in Lephalale and Thabazimbi, Limpopo, on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. She was accompanied by Deputy Minister David Mahlobo and Limpopo MEC for Corporative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), Pule Shayi.

The visit enabled the Minister to assess progress on a strategic water infrastructure project that is critical to strengthening long-term water security and supporting economic and industrial activity in the region.

“These oversight visits are meant to ensure that the project is delivered on time and within budget,” Majodina said.

The Minister also acknowledged TCTA’s contribution over its 40-year history and referred to its financing role in Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP II). “What TCTA is doing in the funding of LHWP-2 gives me a good indication of what TCTA will be doing with this project. As the ministry, we are also confident that this engineering piece of work, worth R19.7 billion, will continue to contribute to youth empowerment and the transfer of skills. I was particularly happy to see many young women in leadership roles on the project,” she said.

TCTA Board Chairperson Precious Sibiya said the visit demonstrated the entity’s work to address the country’s water challenges.

“TCTA is currently involved in multiple water infrastructure projects, and this project is one of the critical ones. And as TCTA is transitioning into the South African National Water Infrastructure Agency (SANWRIA), we will continue delivering to the best of our ability in project finance and implementation,” she said.

Sibiya expressed appreciation to the Minister and Deputy Minister for their support for TCTA and its work. She said the oversight visit gave TCTA’s leadership confidence that its efforts were being recognised. Sibiya highlighted the additional water requirements of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems at Eskom’s Medupi Power Station.

“The inclusion of FGD systems at Eskom’s Medupi Power Station is a key precondition set by the World Bank for its financing of the power plant. FGD operations require massive amounts of water. Because existing supplies in the Lephalale area were insufficient, Eskom applied to abstract water from this project, and that’s one of the key achievements attributed to the project,” she said.

“Mining and power generation activities, along with population growth, have placed increasing pressure on water resources. MCWAP-2 therefore forms part of South Africa’s long-term water security strategy. It is especially critical for Limpopo Province, a region of growing industrial demand. While MCWAP-1 successfully augmented supply to the Medupi and Matimba power stations, the scale of current and future demand calls for a stronger solution,” Sibiya said.

The visit also provided an opportunity for the Minister, TCTA leadership and local leaders to engage on water infrastructure development and strengthen collaboration between national and local government in addressing water and sanitation challenges in the district. MCWAP-2A is a R19.7 billion water transfer project to convey raw water from the Crocodile River through an approximately 140 km pipeline between Thabazimbi and Lephalale. Its infrastructure comprises an abstraction weir, the pipeline, pump stations, associated ancillary infrastructure, a river management system and an operational control centre.

Once completed, the project will provide an additional bulk raw water source for major users, including Eskom’s Medupi and Matimba power stations, Exxaro’s Grootegeluk mine and other commercial and industrial users. Beyond supporting major economic users, strengthening the Waterberg District Municipality’s bulk water infrastructure is important for communities that depend on a reliable and sustainable water system.