For more than a decade, Vari Village residents have been without services such as electricity, water and accessible roads, but they are carefully optimistic that things may eventually change. They pin their hopes on some electricity poles' being erected and promises from the municipalities.
Vari Village is not far from Elim and roughly 100 families stay there. The Vhembe District Municipality (VDM), which is the local water authority, has admitted that the village has serious water challenges. According to the VDM's spokesperson, Mr Matodzi Ralushai, the area lacks the necessary infrastructure. Ralushai did not specify when services will be rendered to the village.
Services such as electricity must be provided by the Makhado Municipality, but some movement seems to be taking place here at last. Ward 15 councillor David Ndou said that they were in the process of rolling out services to the village. "It is true that the village has very little service," he said. Only one borehole exists but is not working. "Most of the residents have no water taps. The Vhembe District Municipality has not yet addressed that problem, though we have been pushing for it," said Ndou.
"At least we are now assured that there will be electricity in our area, because we are noting that electricity poles are being delivered," said Tsumbedzo Makhado, who has been staying in the area for more than three years, without electricity.
The residents are still waiting for other services to be rolled out as they believe this will make their lives easier.
When Limpopo Mirror visited the village last week, the weather looked rainy. Most households had placed containers outside their homes to trap rainwater. They welcomed the rain, because it meant that they could catch some water and would not have to buy it from people lucky enough to have boreholes or get it from a stream.
By 11:00, Takalani Muthibithibi and Shonisani Mudau had already made four trips to fetch water from the stream that is about a kilometre from their home. "This is the order of the day, every day. We have to wake up early to fetch water from the stream for bathing and washing utensils. At times, we drink this water because we may not have money to buy clean water," said Muthibithibi. She only receives a child grant, which is not enough for food and buying water.
Another resident, Phillis Nkuna, said that she stayed far away from the stream and had no choice but to fetch water for doing her laundry. Nkuna must buy water for drinking and preparing food.