Scores of villages in the Mopani area are without clean running water due to the drought that left three dams empty.

The middle Letaba Dam, outside Giyani, is amongst those that are unable to extract water for consumption.

Rotterdam is a village in dire need of water. Residents rely on underground water and only buy from few houses, which have drilled boreholes.

Locals say the taps ran dry immediately after elections.

Some of the boreholes drilled five years ago have stopped working.

Residents of the communities in the vicinity are facing Day Zero.

Mopani District Mayor, Pule Shai says that they have dispatched a team to assist with the matter.

“During drought conditions, like this one, even ground water is effectively affected. So, those (who) do not have water, boreholes, there is little we can do about it. We have dispatched a team with specific know-how to equip those that can be converted into becoming user-friendly and that exercise is happening right across the entire Mopani districts so that we are able to get to our people.”

Authorities are urging locals to use water sparingly. Water tankers will be dispatched to assist stranded communities.