“A life without water is no life,” complain Magau residents

It is a hot day in Magau village in the Sinthumule area and jobless women and men sit under trees, discussing the lack of water in the village. Their talk, however, goes no more than beyond the borders of the village.

“We have been without water ever since November last year,” says a concerned resident, Rendani Mulaudzi. “Life without water is no life.”

Another resident, Ms Florah Makongoza, says that life is hard for her as a mother and grandmother who has to raise grandchildren in a dry village. “We can hardly bathe the little ones,” she says. “Some of us are unemployed and cannot afford to buy water from those who have boreholes at their homes.”

Makongoza adds that residents don't even know the relevant departments to which they should take their complaints or request water. According to Makongoza, the municipality said that most parts of the water system was damaged and vandalised by thieves who had stolen the copper taps to sell to scrapyards for cash, and that if they tried to open the water, it would overflow in the streets.

“They requested us to buy security caps to lock all our taps,” she says in a disturbed voice. “They said they would open the water in January, but they haven't done that so far".

When Limpopo Mirror contacted Cllr Selinah Mamatsiari (Ward 23) for comment, she acknowledged that there is currently no water in the village. “I can't say that the problem is with the municipality as such,” Mamatsiari said. “I had phoned the people who are responsible for water services in the village, namely Stella and Mr Mukosi (at Ha-Ramantsha water control station). One would refer me to the other and vice versa, and they are now ignoring my calls.”

The scarcity of water is affecting a large part of the Sinthumule and Kutama area, and some of the directly affected villages are Madombidzha and Tshiozwi.

Ward 22 councillor Mr David Davhana says that residents and the ward committees in the area understood very well that the lack of water in the area did not stem from a human's making. “The area is dry,” he said. “But I have talked with the municipality's technical director, Mr (Thilivhali) Ralulimi, about the lack of water. He said he had spoken with Mr Mukosi and that he (Mukosi) would come to us. To date, Mukosi hasn't come to us.”

According to Cllr Davhana, the municipality was doing its best to deliver services to the people. “Unfortunately, those stationed at the Ha-Ramantsha water control office are not doing their job,” said Davhana.

The Cope branch in Vhembe expressed its disappointment about how the plight of the Magau residents in particular is seemingly being ignored. Cope chairperson Cllr Geoffrey Tshibvumo said that he had visited Magau village and that he was appalled by the total lack of water in the village. “Cope is disappointed by the way in which the people of Magau village are being treated by the government with regard to the supply of water,” said Tshibvumo.

Residents say that water tankers are only delivering water to Zuma and Mandela extensions. “These tankers are not delivering enough water, and they do it only on Mondays,” said one resident from Mandela.

News - Date: 25 February 2013

Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Email: [email protected]