Despite a R20 million investment in the Mashau Doli water project, residents of Mashau Doli, Guvhungwa, and Mariadze in Limpopo remain without consistent access to water. The project, which was meant to benefit around 700 households, has left the community struggling with broken promises and ongoing water shortages.
Residents rely on a single diesel-powered borehole, which is often out of service because of the Vhembe District Municipality's (VDM) failure to supply diesel. This borehole serves only a few standpipes, forcing many residents to travel long distances to fetch water with wheelbarrows, while others have no access at all.
To get by, families are forced to buy water at R2 per container or spend up to R300 refilling water tanks. During a site visit on 15 December, Limpopo Mirror found both the new and old reservoirs empty. One of the new boreholes was incomplete, lacking a pump, pipes, and electricity.
Several standpipes were also missing taps. The community has three boreholes, but only one is operational. The second borehole is waiting for electrification by Eskom, but residents have rejected this option because of ongoing load-shedding. One of the boreholes also does not seem to have enough water as cannot supply the reservoir.
Mr Melisa Sadiki, a local resident, described the difficulties they face, saying it was hard for them to live without water. "We were told the refurbished borehole no longer has enough water to supply the reservoir. Some of us are unemployed and cannot afford water tanks. We are calling on the government to provide us with water because it is a basic need," she said.
The R20 million water project started in November 2019 and was awarded to HLTC and Splish Splash Construction by the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM). It was meant to include a reservoir, pipelines, standpipes, and the refurbishment of two boreholes. However, residents claim the project was poorly executed, using substandard materials such as plastic pipes for bridges, which they fear may collapse during heavy rains.
Mr Edward Mpakwe, secretary of the Mashau Doli Civic, explained that the project was not handed over to the community because of unresolved complaints. "We rejected Eskom's energisation of the borehole because the diesel-powered one was already in place. We wanted two energy sources because the municipality rarely services electric boreholes," he said.
Residents also argue that the contractor should have drilled two additional boreholes instead of constructing an empty reservoir.
Splish Splash Construction owner Mr Thuso Mbadi insisted that the project was completed as planned. "We did our work and sat down with the community. They agreed [that we had] completed the scope of work, tested, and opened the project for them. They signed off on it. They raised concerns, so we even added seven standpipes, which were not part of the project, as a donation," said Mbadi.
VDM spokesperson Mr Matodzi Ralushai confirmed the project's completion in March 2022 and said the community would rely on the boreholes until the Nandoni Mavambe to Vuwani Bulk Pipeline project was finished. "The Department of Water and Sanitation has indicated that the project will be finished by May 2025," Ralushai said.