Despite the good summer rains that have filled dams across the Vhembe region, some villages remain without water. One such community is Tshilamba township and the surrounding villages in Mutale.
For the past two weeks, residents who rely on the Mutale Water Works for their clean water supply have not received a single drop. Those who can afford it have resorted to buying water from residents with boreholes, while others are forced to use untreated water from the local Mutale River.
Residents say they now have to scramble and compete with domestic animals for water at the river. One affected resident, Mr Martin Mudau, expressed his frustration.
"We have lived in this township for years, but we have never experienced such a severe water shortage. We have done everything possible to engage the district municipality on this issue, but all we get are empty promises that water is coming. In this township, we use flushing toilets that require water. Imagine the situation in our homes—it's unbearable. We don't even know where to relieve ourselves. We are at the mercy of the few who have outside pit latrines," he said.
Another resident, Ms Masindi Mudau, said the water crisis had become a major problem, and the municipality was doing nothing to resolve it.
"As a community, we are desperate. We have no water to drink, wash, or cook. When we raised the issue, we were told the problem stemmed from a dispute with a service provider whose contract to supply water treatment chemicals was terminated. But as consumers, how is that our concern? All we need is water while they fight their tender wars. We cannot be held hostage by greedy officials and tenderpreneurs who have no water problems themselves because they can afford boreholes and buy clean water daily," she said.
She added that, if necessary, residents would soon march to the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) offices to demand water.
VDM spokesperson Mr Matodzi Ralushai responded to questions on Monday, confirming that the municipality was aware of the issue. "The municipality has already appointed service providers to supply and deliver water treatment chemicals, and some of these chemicals have been delivered to water treatment plants. The Mutale Water Treatment Works is operational, as chemicals were sourced from other treatment plants. As an interim measure, we have been using water tankers to supply affected areas. However, due to recent rains, some areas could not be reached," he said.