In the battle to get water supplied to the dry taps in Makhado (Louis Trichardt), AfriForum posed a final deadline of 17 February which, according to them, had been “casually missed” by the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM).

Attorney Werner Human of Hurter and Spies Attorneys in Pretoria confirmed this week that they had received instruction from AfriForum to proceed with legal steps of contempt of court. “We came so near to providing water permanently, but unfortunately the municipality faded out,” said Human in an email on 19 February.

“They do not understand the concept of meeting a deadline. My friend Masala [VDM’s municipal manager Masala Makumule] is convinced that having achieved 50% of the goals in the court order represents a pass and they are now off the hook. He has said it so many times that I believe we cannot make more progress. I am shattered but determined to see it through to the end. If cooperation can’t do it, then what choice do we have but to use the law in its strongest possible way?” local AfriForum chairperson Mr Wally Schultz said on Tuesday.

Was Vhembe aware of the final deadline? Mr Masala Makumule referred the Zoutpansberger to Vhembe’s water services manager, Mr Eric Masakona. “Yes, we are aware of the deadline. But what is it that we didn’t do?” said Masakona in a telephonic interview on Tuesday.  Masakona made an alarming statement that, with or without a court order, the Albasini dam’s water supply of 120 litres per second was never going to be enough. “It is about only enough for the prison. I’m putting my head on the line now, but with the current infrastructure, the demand will always outstrip the supply, unless we get water from the Nandoni dam,” Masakona said.

Masakona said that it was his personal view that they had met the 17 February deadline and submitted a report in that regard on the 15th. “We have completed the boreholes, did the debushing of the pipeline to the Albasini Dam and doing the prescribed hours’ water supply. We only missed some of the target dates,” Masakona said.

During a meeting between AfriForum, VDM roleplayers and the Department of Water Affairs’ acting director of water services on 7 February, Schultz and his team attempted to reinforce the concept that the court order had to be complied with 100% in order to avoid contempt of court. “Focus on the court order,” Schultz told Makumule.

“My interest is to supply water. Even if there were no court order, my response would be the same. Our strategic focus and objective are to ensure regular and reliable operation and maintenance of water and sanitation to Makhado.  We have a residential contractor at the Albasini Dam and we are trying to pool every resource to get water to town,” Makumule said after the meeting. 

Makumule’s response about the meeting was that they were checking “areas to improve, especially communication”.

Prof Ben van der Waal of AfriForum Louis Trichardt was satisfied that the relevant roleplayers had pitched up for the meeting since the “people say that the water situation is worse now than before”.

Lampie Schoeman of AfriForum wanted the community to phone the Vhembe role players if they do not have water, instead of phoning AfriForum, which does not have the authority to supply water.  The Vhembe Municipal Manager’s number is 082 772 3256, the Vhembe water services manager’s number is 082 453 6484, the number of the acting technical manager of Vhembe, Mr Ratidzai Madimutsa, is 076 299 5973 and the DWA director’s number is 082 802 7737.