In a new development, residents of the Makhado Municipal area, all tormented by water shortages, are taking hands across racial lines in order to act in a unified and forceful manner.

A brand new committee of concerned Makhado residents was formed on 18 July, the same evening that the mayor of the Makhado Municipality, Cllr David Mutavhatsindi, held a public meeting in the Makhado Show Hall to address local residents on the water crisis in the area. 

Angry residents stayed behind and formed the Interim Committee of Makhado Residents, also called the Makhado Concerned Group.

“The Makhado Municipality should stop charging us for water and the services thereof with immediate effect, until a consistent and uninterrupted water supply is restored,” was the first resolution stated in a memorandum by the new committee. Their second resolution was that the congestion at pay points should be reduced by re-establishing other pay points that are no longer operational.

The committee gave the municipality two weeks to implement the above, “failing which we shall be left with no option but to resort to legal means to have our problems solved”. Their memorandum was received by the Makhado Municipality on 10 August and the Makhado residents wanted their reply before 29 August, when “we have to report to the masses at a meeting scheduled for 29 August”.

The committee is chaired by Mr Lawrence Makatu. “We don’t want any political connotation to this committee. If we don’t see improvement in services, our end goal is to push the people out who do not render proper services,” Makatu said. 

“The chaotic meeting of the mayor did not resolve any of the issues on the table, but has drawn residents from across all communities to take hands in a unified attempt to rectify the rapidly collapsing water supply and sewerage systems in the Makhado district,” said Mr Wally Schultz, chairperson of the local AfriForum branch, which was also launched directly after the said “chaotic meeting”. AfriForum intends to take the legal route to resolve the worsening water crisis. 

In the meantime, Makatu and Schultz met and forged an alliance to tackle the issues in court. “It is time for all residents of the Makhado district, regardless of race, to act as one, to hold our municipalities accountable … and we welcome the support offered by the local branch of AfriForum,” said a delighted Makatu.

“Lawrence and I agree on all the issues at stake and have agreed to work closely together in preparing AfriForum’s court action against both the Vhembe and Makhado municipalities. Should we win this court case, and we believe that we will … it will register a landmark victory and will set a legal precedent for other communities...” Schultz said.

The AfriForum legal team studied the answering letter of the Makhado Municipality on the water crisis in the municipal area. “The legal team said that the answer was inadequate and therefore they are proceeding. The Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) did not even bother to respond,” said Schultz.