The cost of upgrading South Africa’s Clanwilliam Dam has escalated to R5.7bn ($305m), nearly triple its initial R2bn budget, with completion now deferred to 2028. Located on the Olifants River in the Western Cape, the project aims to elevate the dam wall, boosting capacity from 122m to 343m cubic metres. Yet, progress remains sluggish—construction stood at 21% as of March 2025—hampered by tender disputes, funding shortages, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

First slated for completion in 2018, the initiative, part of the Olifants-Doorn River Water Resources Project, has faced repeated setbacks. A 2016 tender for construction faltered due to insufficient funds, while subsequent efforts to revive the scheme under former Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu in 2023 yielded limited headway. The current minister, Pemmy Majodina, inspected the site in early 2025, expressing cautious optimism despite the delays. She highlighted concurrent tasks—demolition, drilling, and blasting for the spillway and intake tower—as evidence of momentum, projecting economic benefits for the Cederberg region.

The dam’s apron, a concrete shield against erosion, was completed in June 2024, a rare milestone. Once finished, the project will bolster water supply for agriculture, municipalities, and industries along the Olifants River valley. However, its history is chequered: safety concerns emerged in 2007, prompting remedial recommendations after inspections revealed risks to public safety and property under flood conditions. The wall, last raised in the 1960s, requires stabilisation to withstand extreme weather—a growing priority as climate change strains water security.

Local officials, including Cederberg Mayor Ruben Richards, acknowledge the delays but remain sanguine, citing "regular oversight". Anton Bredell, Western Cape’s MEC for Environmental Affairs, underscored the dam’s strategic value amid rising population and economic pressures, though he flagged broader challenges like pollution control. Infrastructure adjustments, such as the N7 realignment completed in 2017 and planned upgrades to local roads, add complexity.

Majodina frames Clanwilliam as one of several stalled water projects under review, insisting that “ups and downs” are par for the course. Critics, however, may question whether her satisfaction reflects progress or resignation. With costs ballooning and deadlines slipping, the dam exemplifies the broader strain on South Africa’s infrastructure ambitions—vital for growth, yet vulnerable to execution risks. Completion in 2028, if achieved, will mark a decade-long saga of ambition outpacing delivery.

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