Gov’t apologises for the delayed, costly Kanye sanitation project
Spira Tlhankane | Tuesday August 5, 2025 09:06
The Kanye sanitation project comprises a 480-km pipeline, 11 pump stations, and wastewater treatment works. The project was originally scheduled to run from October 2017 to October 2019, but has since been extended to later this year. It recently made headlines when it was revealed that the project, initially set at P707 million, has drastically exceeded its budget, with costs ballooning to P3.3 billion.
Responding to a question in Parliament this week, Ramogapi said the Ministry is intending to complete the Kanye projects this financial year. He also revealed that the Kanye sanitation project is at the tail end of construction, and that progress is currently at 98.8%.
“Most of the components, including the treatment works, are now in operation with the institutions connected to the system. The remaining works are targeted to be completed by the end of September 2025,” he told Parliament.
Causes of project delay
Ramogapi admitted that the ministry is alive to the factors that contributed to the delay of the project, like the underestimation of the hard rock around the project area that emanated from the Geotechnical Investigation Report of January 2007 conducted by Africon Botswana from 8 May to 26 June 2006.
'The consultant made trial pits and concluded that the gross estimation of the quantities of rocks in the project site was 8%. It was discovered that the consultant erred by not sampling deep enough. Their trial pits did not go beyond 5m depth, as the majority of the pipes were laid at that depth. Further investigation that was carried out during construction revealed that the gross estimation of the quantities of rocks was in the range of 80% to 90%. The increase in rock quantities required an increase import of soft materials for backfilling as the excavated material was not suitable for the same. The materials were also obtained from alternative sources requiring longer haulage distance due to the suspension of sand mining in the southern part of the country and the closure of Moshaneng Quarry,” he revealed.
The Palapye legislator also pointed out that the other contributing factor was a lack of access to the site due to properties encroaching on the pipeline's servitude. “It should be noted that the project area is within the unplanned layouts that made the pipe route difficult to traverse within the build-up without acquiring land from the affected 1098 plots,” he said. He also disclosed that the factors mentioned above resulted in cost escalation to over P3.3 billion. Ramogapi said that to date, around P24.3 million has been used to pay for compensation of affected property owners.
Progress made
Updating Parliament on the progress so far, Ramogapi said part of the sanitation scheme is now in operation, with a total of 729 connections to customers having been made. He added that commissioning of the remaining parts of the scheme awaits delivery completion of repair works for pump station three, which had pumps damaged during commissioning.
“The repair works for the pump station are expected to be completed in August 2025. A total of 436.35 km of pipelines have been laid, and 22.2 km is remaining. The remaining pipelines are due to several portions skipped as a result of prolonged property acquisitions to pave the way for the pipeline route and slow progress due to blasting of hard rock within buildup areas in Ntsweng and Mafikana,” he said.
Ramogapi said the Kanye network distribution project is implemented in phases on account of budget limitations. “The first phase of the project is the emergency works to reinforce or optimise the existing water distribution network in Kanye. It is addressing low water pressure to no-water issues in 12 wards, being Ntsweng, Mafhikana, Taukobong, Ditootso, Kebuang, Tioung, Goo-Kgano, Logaba, Kgwatlheng, Mathubapula, Mmamokhasi, Sethugetsane, Sekokotla, Kgwakgwe, and Lodubeng,” Ramogapi further disclosed.
He added that the current interventions to address water shortage in hard-hit areas are through water bowsing. Ramogapi said Phase 2 of the project, which covers the remaining rehabilitation Works and expansion of water reticulation networks to new areas, will form part of the National Development Plan 12. “The works will consist of additional water pipe work, pump station, and telemetry & Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) to automate the works covering the whole of Kanye”.
Ramogapi also said the progress of the projects is sitting at 98.8% with the wastewater treatment plant at 99.5% and operational with outstanding final commissioning. “Gravity lines are at 95.4%, vacuum lines at 93.3%, Pump stations at 99.7%, vacuum stations at 98.6%, plot connects (under the contract) is at 99.4% and access roads are at 100%. Out of the 1098 assessments conducted by the Land Board and private valuer, 967 have already been paid, the contractor has been instructed to pay 51 property owners, and 65 cases were resolved through other mechanisms, mostly removing and reinstating boundary fences or rerouting of the pipeline. So far, around P24.3 million has been used to pay for the compensation of affected property owners.
The project has registered 1444 public complaints, 629 have been resolved, 71 were rejected and 744 are at different stages of resolution: 88 awaits post construction inspection, 56 awaits compensation, 225 awaits line completion, 191 awaits submission of quotations, 19 are still under investigation, 41 awaits repairs, 16 dormant, there are 108 new registered complaints,” Ramogapi disclosed. He also said that the resolution of public complaints will spill over into the Defects Notification Period.
Kanye Sanitation Project genesis
The then department of Waste Management and Pollution Control (DWMPC) carried out a detailed design of the Kanye sanitation project and completed it in 2007. The project was later transferred to the then Ministry of Mineral Energy and Water Affairs in February 2013, during the water sector reforms. The construction contract was awarded to Estate Construction (Pty) Ltd on August 10, 2015, after a Lobatse High Court ruling on July 15, 2015. The Contractor accepted the award on August 11, 2015, and was to take 48 months. The contractor was awarded at P707 million.
The project encountered challenges during the implementation due to increased rock quantities, long haulage of materials, and access to the site due to properties. These increased the duration of the project, causing it to take longer to complete, resulting in cost escalation to P3.3 billion, including claims of P701.3 million.
The Kanye emergency project focuses on the rehabilitation of the water infrastructure in 12 identified wards, and is an abstract from the initially conceived Kanye Moshupa water rehabilitation project. Due to financial constraints, only areas identified to have acute water shortages were identified for rehabilitation, and these consist of the 12 wards where rehabilitation work is being focused. According to Ramogapi, work on the 12 identified wards is planned for completion by the end of August 2025. Ramogapi was responding to a question from Kanye East MP Prince Mosanana, who had asked the latter when the Kanye sanitation project would be completed.
The Mmegi team recently travelled to the Southern District village, and observed that the project is riddled with many underlying issues of unfair compensation, impossible landowners, rocky conditions, and water seepages.