HA-MUTHEIWANA – “Residents of Tshimbupfe Central do not only think about the importance of water when there is drought or when they are thirsty, but even when the supply of water to the village is poor”

This was the statement of the chairperson of the civic association of Ha-Mutheiwana in Tshimbupfe. Mr Thomas Mulaudzi was complaining about the shortage of water in his village and Tshimbupfe Central in particular. “We can spend two to three weeks without water in our taps and without getting a reasonable excuse from our ward councillor, Cllr Khamusi Mauba and the local Department of Water and Forestry in Vuwani,” he said.

Mulaudzi claimed that residents in the new extension at Sokoutenda at Ha-Muthiewana walk about five kilometers to fetch water at a kraal where they have drilled a borehole. “Just imagine an elderly person’s pushing a wheelbarrow packed with three 25-litre containers of water. I can openly reveal that we are surviving by the water from the borehole sold in one of the kraals in our village,” he said.

Mulaudzi said that they are aware about the shortage of water countrywide, but in their area, it is like a punishment because they are receiving statements to pay for the water services at the local municipal offices in Vuwani. “For the last three weeks, there has been not a drop of water in our water taps, so we are suffering,” he said. Asked if he had tried to engage the relevant stakeholders to seek a solution on the matter, Mulaudzi said that all the gatherings with the ward councillor and the local Department of Water Affairs and Forestry on various occasions have proven fruitless.

Ward 22 councillor Khamusi Mauba agreed that there was a serious shortage of water at Tshimbupfe Central. He claimed that, during their last meeting with the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, they reached consensus that the sup-ply of water would be shared with the neighbouring villages, Nngwekhulu, Tshilata and Davhana, but to their surprise, on the dates when water was supposed to be supplied to Tshimbupfe Central, the area remained waterless and with no explanation from the Department.

“After realising the problem with the water, the Makhado Municipality provided residents of Tshimbupfe-Thondoni, Tshilindi and Mavhulani with water tanks. We’ve also renovated the existing boreholes in the area, while a municipal truck is also supplying water to residents regularly. We appreciate the agreement and commitment made by the Vuwani Department of Water Affairs and Forestry of sharing water. We condemn their failure to honour their promise as their silence on the matter is deafening,” he said.