The Mahlarini village in Dopeni, Nzhelele, is located on top of the famous Tswime Mountain, a few kilometres from the Siloam CBD. The only thing that separates the Mahlarini and Siloam villages is the Nzhelele River.
Despite Mahlarini's being well known for its hot spring, the locals say that the village has been neglected by the local municipality.
On visiting this remote village (which falls under Thulamela Ward 27), one can clearly see the absence of basic services such as water and electricity. No RDP houses can be seen, only collapsing little dwellings. Most of the villagers rely on Sassa and Covid Social Relief of Distress grants. Most of the community – young and old alike - are unemployed.
One of the village's main concerns is getting across to Siloam during the rainy season. When it rains, the Nzhelele River pushes up and floods their make-shift bridge. The bridge is the only way for the children to get across to go to school in the Siloam CBD.
All they need, they say, is a proper, safe bridge to link them to Siloam.
This has been a main concern for many years. The principals from neighbouring schools, such as Siloam Primary, Mushaathoni Secondary, Tshirenzheni Primary, Mphephu High and Tshifhena Secondary Schools, already know that, whenever they see dark clouds in the sky, they have to release learners from the Mahlarini area early, or the poor children will not be able to get home.
Mr Wilson Silidi, the principal of Siloam Primary, told Limpopo Mirror that he used his own car to take the children from Mahlarini home after heavy rains, using the Mphephu Resort route. "Sometimes we have to send them home early or tell them not to come at all. It is very sad because they miss out on their lessons." He said he wished something could be done to help these poor kids.
However, according to Thulamela Municipality's spokesperson, Mr Ndwamato Tshila, a bridge is not on the cards for Mahlarini village. "We don't have such a project in our IDP."
After the February floods last year, concerned parents carried their children to school on their backs. "This situation pains us as parents. Whenever it rains, we fear for our children. They also have a right to education like any other children," one of the parents said. "This municipality doesn't care about us."