The Democratic Alliance (DA) has advised the provincial Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (CSA) to pull to the plug on the non-viable Mpumalanga High Altitude Training Centre (HATC) which is currently under construction in Emakhazeni Local Municipality.
Construction of this project was supposed to start in the 2012/2013 financial year, but it didn’t. So far, over R324 million has been spent on the project including purchasing land, feasibility study, environmental impact assessment, designs, and construction of Phase 1 and 2. There is little to show on site today, but the money is gone just like that.
Last week, the Select Committee of Culture, Sports and Recreation of the Mpumalanga Legislature, conducted an oversight visit to see progress ourselves. We were disappointed to find that even the Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project are still not complete especially if one takes into consideration that over R324 million has already been spent on this project that should have been started as far back as 2012/2013.
The Phase 1 and Phase 2 that are currently under construction consist of the following:
- The upgrade of bulk services
- A 7-million-liter reservoir is currently at 86% completion,
- The bulk water pipelines, sewer mains, and pump stations are very near to signing off.
- The construction of the portable water and wastewater treatment plants are also well under way.
During the above oversight visit, the DA engaged with the Culture, Sport and Recreation MEC, Leah Mabuza, advising her to consider pulling the plug on further development of the HATC. We even suggested to her that the 2-Phases that are currently under construction must be completed and donated to the Emakhazeni Local Municipality, that can use this much needed infrastructure for its own water and sewage services.
It is a well-known fact that the water and sewer infrastructure in Emakhazeni has totally dilapidated. The completion of Phases 1 & 2 of the HATC project will make a huge difference in the lives of residents of this municipality.
At an estimated cost of R5,2 billion, this HATC project is not affordable, not feasible and not sustainable. Trying to complete it, will bankrupt not only this department, but the Mpumalanga Government at large.
The HATC will remain a dream while residents of the province suffer from service delivery failures with the mirage of a HATC that will come in the future.
Even if the department of Culture, Sport and Recreation can find a Public Private Partner or foreign donors, the DA still feels that this project is not worth pursuing. We also feel that the government should actually focus on upgrading and maintaining the basic infrastructure of all municipalities in the province.