By Bernard Chiguvare, Silas Nduvheni and Staff Reporter
Vhembe's ailing and often completely dysfunctional sewerage system is a "ticking time bomb". This is the opinion of residents and community leaders, and some reckon a cholera outbreak, such as currently experienced in Hammanskraal, could soon create havoc in Vhembe.
As if the inability of the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) to maintain and repair infrastructure is not bad enough, residents in certain areas have resorted to vandalising pipelines and breaking sewerage pipes. This was done to protest against the lack of water in areas such as Phiphidi and Duthuni. Community members living around the Nandoni Dam also closed the plants at the dam, causing large parts of the area to be completely without water.
On Monday, the executive mayor of the VDM, Dowelani Nenguda, tried to put out some of the flames and visited the Phiphidi and Duthuni areas, where he addressed residents. "We understand that most of the communities are without water, and we are working hard to resolve the challenge of water to the affected communities … let's try to resolve the challenge in a peaceful manner without damaging water infrastructure," said Nenguda.
The situation affected several of the region's hospitals, which had to operate without water in their taps. The hospitals included Malamulele Hospital and Tshilidzini Hospital.
The spokesperson for the Department of Health, Mr Neil Shikwambana, said the protesting communities had destroyed water infrastructure leading to these facilities. The protesters also closed the pump station at Nandoni Dam last Monday (22nd). "Due to the closure of the dam, delivering water through water tankers to the hospitals will not be possible," he said.
Shikwambana said the department was worried that the closure of the dam and the destruction of infrastructure coincided with the scourge of cholera confronting other provinces of the country. "The department is working with all stakeholders to try and prevent the disease, but community-induced water shortages will compromise the efforts. The department wishes to request community members to be considerate when venting their service-delivery frustrations as the blocking of the water supply inconveniences health-care service delivery with the potential for dire service delivery," he added.
In Louis Trichardt, residents are also fed-up with the VDM's inability to repair broken sewerage lines. They believe that this adds to the risk of contracting diseases such as cholera, because raw sewage runs down streets and ends up in streams.
On the corner of President and Ruh Street, next to the Riverview flats, the sewage has been spilling over for several years. Participants in the weekly Parkrun can testify to the nasty smell in the north-western side of the park. The route that the Parkrun athletes follow every week turns at the dam, where the sewage is spilling over.
When Limpopo Mirror visited the area on Tuesday (30th), a team from the VDM attempted to get the sewage flowing again, but the smell was nauseating. A gardener working in that street could quickly show the reporter where the stench was coming from. "It is fortunate that the VDM fixed it today, otherwise you would not have been able to stand the nasty smell from the flowing sewage. It is very difficult for me to work in this area because the stink takes your breath away," said the 52-year-old man.
One of the residents who has been living near the Riverview flats for more than a decade told Limpopo Mirror that everyone complained to the municipality about the sewage that was continuously streaming down the street, but that their pleas fell on deaf ears.
"There is a stream running down to a small dam next to Firefly here in Louis Trichardt and I often see people fishing there. They might eat or sell their catch. These people are not aware that that water is contaminated [with sewage]. This is really a ticking time bomb for an outbreak of any waterborne disease," he said.
The fear of drinking contaminated water escalated the past two weeks, with more cholera-related deaths being reported daily. Last Friday, the first cholera case in Vhembe was also confirmed by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD). This followed after a 26-year-old Zimbabwean national presented himself at the Musina Hospital. He suffered from extreme diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration, and was admitted, isolated, and treated, while specimens were sent to the NICD for testing. The test results came back positive. The patient has reportedly since improved and is due to be discharged.
In a media statement, MEC for Health Phophi Ramathuba encouraged communities to remain calm and vigilant by practicing basic hygiene, hand washing, and drinking safe water. Meanwhile, the Department of Health has activated some measures to respond to the outbreak of the disease, such as conducting health promotions by working with local stakeholders in the hotspots, including the Beitbridge Border Post. The department has also met with the VDM about the need to conduct water tests regularly as a preventative measure.
Residents are cautioned to be very wary of contaminated water as it may contain bacteria that can cause cholera. Cholera is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae that is primarily transmitted through contaminated water or food. The bacterium is typically found in areas with poor sanitation and inadequate access to clean drinking water.
When human faeces containing the bacteria contaminates water sources, such as rivers, lakes, or wells, the disease can spread rapidly. Ingesting contaminated water or food, especially raw or undercooked seafood, can lead to infection.