Traversing the rocky P2.7bn error
Spira Tlhankane | Monday June 16, 2025 12:18
It was revealed that the consultant had rated the rock density at just eight percent, whilst in reality, it was closer to 80%. “This omission is unjustifiable. Anyone on site can see that the area is rocky, even without excavation; rocks are visible on the surface. In my view, this error should have been detected early on,” Raitoko told the PAC.
After the revelation, the Mmegi team travelled to the Southern district village, which has since turned into a construction site because of the trenching, blasting, pipe installation, and backfilling happening right in the centre of the Bangwaketse tribe capital.
Rocky mistake evidentIt is worth noting that in the areas where the pipeline is supposed to pass, heavy machinery could be seen drilling, blasting, and excavating. Most areas are predominantly rocky, an issue which Raitoko said should have been evident during the design phase, which took place before the project commenced. The project comprises a 480 km pipeline, 11 pump stations, and wastewater treatment works. The project is 95% complete, with about 24km left.
What the Mmegi team observed is that the rocky ground conditions are significantly impacting pipeline construction. The hard rock is said to make drilling and excavating difficult, requiring specialised equipment. Although contractors on site didn’t want to share much about the project, one source closer to the project said the rocky conditions are altering construction plans, which led to project delays.
In most areas of Kanye, robust machinery is currently navigating the rocky terrain, mostly doing the drilling and blasting. “It’s rocky, we blast three or more times, and there will be damage to people’s houses. They have built houses on top of rocks. The excavator finds boulders, and some houses are close to where we will blast. The challenge is that it is a rural settlement, and there were no plans, and they didn’t anticipate developments back then. Now we have to create a line across hills, we have managed, and it was rocky and full of trees,” a source closer to the project told this publication.
The Mmegi team could also observe that in areas where the ground is rocky and coarse, the rocky terrain presented significant challenges for pipeline construction and maintenance, including potential for damage, blockage, and difficulty in maintaining alignment. The contractors on site are reportedly aware of what was said during the PAC, and they contend that the rocky challenges have increased construction time and costs.
The rocky conditions in the area add more to what Raitoko admitted before the PAC that the primary reason for the increased costs was a major error in estimating the geotechnical component of the project. Raitoko admitted that the massive error in the Kanye Sanitation project was proceeding with implementation without allocating sufficient time to thoroughly examine the geotechnical data. “Had we done so, we would have realised the initial cost estimate was significantly understated,” he said.
Unfair compensation
and impossible ownersBesides the rocky conditions, what the Mmegi team also realised as it traversed through the village was that households have been affected by the land access process. Pipeline construction requires land access, which is often secured through easements (rights-of-way).
Pipeline projects also include accessing or displacing homes. In this case, in Kanye, there is less displacement of homes, but more about accessing them. The contractors are said to be negotiating with landowners to obtain easements or right-of-ways for the pipeline route, but some are refusing, citing unfair compensation.
“Pre-inspection and post-inspection were done in areas like Zone 9, Zone 12. Since we started, there have been delays in paying homeowners. Most of the homeowners declined payments, so we had to divert lines because of people who refused. It can take two years to negotiate with landowners. Currently, the two homeowners are refusing, and they don’t want compensation. They simply don’t want their property to be touched. They are impossible, we have been negotiating with one homeowner since last year, and the other one has been a three-month sweat. But there is no how we can realign the route,” the source further told this publication.
The source said they have to access homes before blasting, and that waiting for people to gain access takes time, and that the costs ballooned because of compensation and paying for damages after blasting.
What Mmegi has also gathered is that there seems to be confusion and misunderstanding surrounding the land valuation and compensation process. Affected communities fear unfair and low compensation. Some homeowners feel that the contractor should reroute the pipeline to minimise the need to access their houses. Some feel that the pipeline has already created many environmental and social impacts; therefore government should pay fair compensation to avoid delays and uncertainty.
The contractor is said to be frustrated that the process of securing the necessary land rights for the pipeline has been complex and time-consuming, especially because there are already disputes and challenges.
Besides conflicts, it is said that the contractors are complaining about water seepage, which they said led to cost escalation. They are also reportedly complaining about the challenges of importing material, and that at some point were forced to take far away in Mmokolodi and Moshaneng because it is required for backfilling. Mmegi contacted the contractor being Estate Construction, for comment about the ongoing project,t but the latter has since referred any form of inquiry to the government.
Besides the consultant’s error, which is blamed for the cost overrun of P2.7 billion for the Kanye sanitation project, the project is riddled with many underlying issues of unfair compensation, impossible landowners, rocky conditions, and water seepages. Mmegi’s SPIRA TLHANKANE recently followed the 480 km pipeline to track the ‘consulting engineer’s mistake’