Dozens of residents from four villages near Musina have threatened mass protests and road blockades after years of living without reliable water, electricity and other basic services, despite millions of rand allegedly allocated for development projects.
Communities from Tshikhudini, Tshiphale, Mulungufhala and Tanda marched to the Musina Municipality offices on Tuesday, demanding urgent intervention over what they describe as neglect, corruption and exclusion from development opportunities.
The Tshikhudini Concern Group (TCG) submitted a memorandum to Eskom, Musina Local Municipality and Vhembe District Municipality, accusing authorities of failing to deliver services and ignoring repeated complaints from Ward 1.
“We have been demanding water, a clinic and a police station for the past nine years. Two of the villages do not have water at all. Elderly women are forced to travel about three kilometres, pushing wheelbarrows just to fetch water,” said Livhuwani Sello.
Residents said Tshikhudini’s electrification project, which started in 2018, stalled despite an alleged R10 million allocation during the 2019/20 financial year. In Tshiphale and Mulungufhala, many households remain without electricity and rely on firewood and solar systems.
They also raised concerns over worsening water shortages. In Tanda, residents said they were forced to use unsafe river water after a borehole collapsed earlier this year.
“Our communities are suffering while millions disappear without accountability,” one resident said during the protest.
The memorandum further alleges that waste removal trucks pass through Tshiphale without collecting rubbish, leaving illegal dumping sites to spread.
Residents also complained about alleged RDP housing irregularities, a lack of transparency in municipal projects and limited local employment opportunities linked to Ward 1 developments.
The Tshikhudini–Muswodi gravel road was also singled out, with residents saying promised upgrades by the Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) have yet to materialise.
Among their demands are urgent electrification, water tankers, proper waste removal, investigations into alleged corruption, road maintenance and prioritisation of local labour.
TCG chairperson Lucas Manebaneba warned that residents would escalate action if there was no response within seven working days.
“If they fail to fulfil their promises, we will respond decisively and escalate the matter to another level. We may also consider embarking on strike action and blocking roads in protest,” he said.
Musina Local Municipality spokesperson Wilson Dzebu confirmed receipt of the memorandum, saying issues within the municipality’s mandate would be addressed, while others would be referred to relevant stakeholders.