Senteeko Dam still at risk nearly two weeks after warning

Senteeko Dam spillway. Picture Supplied/ Department of Water and Sanitation. It has been nearly two weeks since the Department of Water and Sanitation announced the potential collapse of Senteeko Dam, officially known as My Own Dam.

The announcement prompted authorities to issue evacuation notices to residents living downstream. According to the department, the structural integrity of the dam was compromised by seasonal and heavy rainfall that has battered the Mpumalanga province. The City of Mbombela ordered residents living downstream of the dam, situated between Kaapsehoop and Barberton, to evacuate immediately after the dam wall approached failure following days of relentless rainfall.

At the time, Mayor Sibongile Makushe-Mazibuko confirmed the severity of the situation, warning that a collapse would send a devastating wall of water through multiple river systems. “Senteeko Dam wall is busy failing due to the rain,” Makushe-Mazibuko said. “If the dam wall does fail, there will be a 1.82 million m³ rush of water into the Suidkaap.” In a recent update, Deputy Minister of Water and SanitationDavid Mahlobo confirmedthat engineers and disaster teams remain on site implementing measures to prevent the disaster from happening.

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He said teams were working to widen an emergency spillway, lower water levels, and closely monitor the dam’s integrity. “These efforts remain ongoing because the risk has not yet passed,” Mahlobo stated. “Government remains on site and on alert until it does.” The deputy minister noted that while there are no densely populated towns along the projected flood path and no cross-border impacts are anticipated, the situation remains serious.

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