The Vhembe District Municipality's seemingly impulsive decision to buy two water-drilling trucks at a cost of more than R11 million has set tongues wagging. More than two months after the trucks were delivered, they still stand idle at the municipality's offices because no one ordered the parts and consumables needed to put the rigs into operation.
The municipality has come under fire in recent years for its failure to provide water to dozens of communities. In 2024, the South African Human Rights Commission intervened after the municipality had failed to submit a plan to ensure efficient water provision. In many areas, communities rely on water delivered by trucks.
To make matters worse, most of the municipality's fleet of water trucks is not functional. Only eight of the 25 trucks are operational. The inability to deliver water means that residents in rural areas are forced to buy from private vendors.
Let's order some water drills
No mention was made in the municipality's most recent Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of purchasing drilling equipment. The IDP should serve as a strategic planning document to guide such expenditure.
In the 2025/26 budget, there are numerous references to drilling projects, each with its own cost estimate, but none to the purchase of a drilling rig. The previous year's budget also made no mention of such planned expenditure.
In the 2024/25 mid-year assessment report, the drilling rig suddenly appears, with R9,565,217 allocated to purchase "1 x Drilling Rig".
The issue is not that investing in one or more drilling rigs would make no sense. Based on figures in the latest budget, the municipality spends almost R90 million a year on drilling new boreholes and refurbishing existing ones. The budgeted cost to drill new boreholes along the Limpopo near Musina is about R7.5 million.
The latest IDP states that 755 of the district's 3,650 boreholes are non-operational, and more than R15 million a year is allocated to refurbishment.
Municipal spokesperson Moses Shivambu denied that the decision to buy the drilling trucks was impulsive. He said it had resulted from interactions with communities during public-participation sessions.
Shivambu said the municipality had purchased two borehole-drilling trucks at a cost of R11,072,639 from Key Spirit Trading 218. Asked about the procurement process, he said it had not been done through a tender but via National Treasury.
Drilling trucks without drills?
The reason the trucks are standing idle in the parking lot appears to be that they were delivered without certain components and consumables.
"Apparently, the service provider indicated that the trucks were not coming with consumables such as drill rods and bits and this was discovered after delivery," said Shivambu. He added that the items had since been ordered and would be delivered soon.
Shivambu admitted the municipality currently does not have suitably qualified staff to operate the rigs, but said existing staff would be trained.
He was also asked about the municipality's plans to repair its 17 broken water trucks. "We have already started with the repair of water trucks," he said. Shivambu added that the municipality managed 3,640 boreholes, of which 2,895 were functional and supplying residents.
Community not convinced
One of the groups sceptical about the purchase is the Vhembe Concerned Group. Its leader, Phathutshedzo Mukhaninga, expressed dismay at the expense, saying the trucks were doing nothing to relieve the district's water shortages. "We have been crying for water for as long as we can remember. We doubt so much as to why the hurry to purchase the incomplete trucks that will not be used anytime soon. We have many full dams that could supply water to all residents but are used to supply far-away communities while locals are thirsty. We just suspect that the two trucks are just one of those money scams to benefit some comrades," he said.
According to him, the municipality has no will to provide water to residents. "The municipality has many water tankers, but only a few are working while the rest remain standing. Some have little mechanical faults, but they are not repairing them. There are so many dysfunctional boreholes that need minor repairs but are not repaired," Mukhaninga said.
Community activist and DA leader in the region Thelma Marole also criticised the purchase. She said she had raised concerns during the state-of-the-district address when it was announced that the trucks had been bought.
"This purchase is very suspicious. First of all, there should be specifications when you procure and in this one we are surprised to see trucks delivered with some consumables missing. The trucks need specific expertise, and the municipality does not have such drivers to operate them. The prolonged waiting for the trucks to be utilised means the municipality will still spend millions outsourcing and that residents will remain water starved. This issue should be addressed swiftly and residents get the service they deserve," she said.
Marole added that she was equally concerned about the number of water tankers standing idle instead of delivering water to communities.