Communities in rural villages under the Tshikonelo Tribal Authority have been relieved of severe water shortages, thanks to the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM). The municipality drilled two new boreholes, installed transformers, and connected them to existing water tanks—a 450-kilolitre steel tank and a newly built 350-kilolitre concrete tank.
Villages including Palathonga, Tshiawelo, Hamadadzhe, and Mauluma celebrated the handover on Friday, 6 June, marking the long-awaited arrival of clean tap water after years of scarcity.
Vhembe District Executive Mayor Freda Nkondo said the era of the municipality's standing by without addressing water needs was over. She first became aware of the severe water shortages during her visit to the area in November 2023, following the funeral of Thovhele Nngwedzeni Tshikonelo. Residents pleaded with her to provide clean water, revealing they had been sharing dirty river water with animals.
"Water is life," Nkondo said. "Communities cannot cook, wash, or drink without it. As we hand over these boreholes, I urge you to protect the infrastructure from vandalism. We are also concerned about illegal water connections, which cost the municipality a lot in repairs. We want everyone to have clean water from the taps."
Tshikonelo Water Committee Chairperson Ndivhuwo Ndou said water shortages forced some residents to buy water at high prices from neighbours who could drill their own boreholes. He welcomed the new boreholes but appealed for more, noting that Tshikonelo has 13 villages in total.
Traditional leader of Tshiawelo Khosi Nkhodeni Mmbi expressed his excitement that water shortages would soon be a thing of the past. He pledged to support the municipality by helping to prevent vandalism and illegal connections. "We must stand together to protect our water infrastructure. We will provide torches to security guards who will watch over the pump station," Mmbi said. "We need to be self-reliant and think positively about solving our own challenges."