Water shortages remain a serious challenge for the VDM

Water shortages in the Vhembe District remain a serious problem and much more needs to be done to address this matter.

During an integrated development plan (IDP) public participation meeting of the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM), the matter of water problems dominated the agenda. The meeting was held at the Madimbo community hall in the Musina area on Tuesday.

Community members from Tanda, Tshikhudini, Madimbo and Matatani villages complained that, after the completion of the bulk-water supply scheme from the Luphephe/Nwanedi-Zwigodini dams, they had hoped that the water problems would be something of the past. However, they spend days without getting water, often as little as once every two weeks.

Mr Livhuwani Ndou of Tanda village near Folovhodwe said his community members were staying just a stone’s throw away from the bulk water supply scheme, but they were without clean water. “We used to get salty water from the boreholes, which is not healthy. We need the government’s intervention to address our water challenges as we hope you are a government that cares for its people,” said Ndou.

Another villager, Mr Philemon Munyai, who also represented the businesspeople in the Madimbo communities, said that he had often warned the residents to refrain from vandalizing water pipes. “The illegal connection of water in our communities is making life a nightmare, because the villagers themselves will also suffer. We urge people to report water thieves to the police,” said Munyai.

The executive mayor of the VDM, Cllr Mavhungu Luruli-Ramakhanya, said as a district municipality they were ready to deliver better services to their communities. She promised that they were working around the clock to create a better life for all.

Luruli-Ramakhanya reported back that they had tabled a draft budget for the 2019/2020 financial year that amounted to just over R1,748 billion. She said that water projects would get the lion’s share of the budget, with more than R503 million set aside to address the water challenges.

Date:26 April 2019

By: Silas Nduvheni

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