Residents of Dopeni-Matsharini village outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo are demanding access to clean and safe drinking water. They say they have relied on water from a hot spring for more than 30 years.
Some say they have been sharing water with livestock. The village is among several communities in the Vhembe District that have experienced prolonged water shortages.
Dopeni-Matsharini village lies on the Tshipise hot spring water belt. Without access to reliable running water, residents depend on the natural spring for their daily needs.
The residents share the water source with livestock and animals, which include baboons and monkeys.
The residents have also raised concerns about littering and the dumping of animal carcasses in and around the water source. They say this poses a risk to their health.
Some residents say the lack of a reliable water supply has left them dependent on the spring for over 30 years.
“We struggle when we do not have water. At times, we are forced to share water with animals. We have been exercising our right to vote, but despite this, we have not seen any visible change, we are still without water,” says one of the residents.
Another resident says; “We have been struggling with water since the year 1994 after we voted. We haven’t got water; we haven’t gotten anything at all. So please help us. “
According to community leaders, Dopeni-Matsharini is among several villages that were meant to benefit from the nearby Mutshedzi Water Treatment Plant.
Community leader Moses Ralinala says two reservoirs and a borehole that were built and connected to the plant to supply water to the village and surrounding communities, are not operating.
“The dam used to be functional, but not anymore. This is because the people of Makhado have created their own water supply from the pipe that supplies water to the dam. We asked the municipality to assist us with this issue, but we are yet to receive assistance. Now, we have also asked the municipality to help us with a borehole that will be able to supply another dam so that the communities can have water.”
The spokesperson for the Vhembe District Municipality, Moses Shivambu says officials from its technical department have been deployed to ensure progress at the Mutshedzi Water Treatment Plant.
“Vhembe technical department recalled contractors to come and make sure that they visit those areas which are having challenges, which are raised, so that they make sure that they do their work to check and identify what might be the cause of water not reaching such areas which are raised. So currently contractors are on site busy working, and in due course we will receive the full report.”
Shivambu says illegal water connections have also stalled progress at the plant.
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-Report by Nsuku Shiluvana
