The water crisis continues to deepen in most of the villages in the Vhembe Municipal area.

In the Sinthumule and Kutama areas, the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) is busy connecting water pipes from the Nooitgedacht farm to the area, as a contingency plan to address the challenge. In several places, such as Maname Paradise in the Musekwa area, not a single water tap is connected.

Community members in this area are forced to travel 5km to a nearby village to collect water. According to Mrs Regina Manenzhe, unlike in other areas where there is a shortage of water because taps were vandalized, at Maname Paradise no water pipes were ever connected. "We are suffering in this village. We sometimes do not eat or wash our clothes," she indicated.

Manenzhe added that children sometimes go to school without having washed. "We depend on people who have donkey carts who are able to travel long distances to other areas where there is water. The problem is that cart owners give us water in exchange for money. We pay R25 per drum of water," she indicated sadly.

During Mirror’s visit to the village last Saturday, the villagers were able to get water from the Vhembe District Municipality’s water truck, which at least shared water with them.

Other residents complained to Mirror that the truck only comes to the village some times twice a month.

Mirror learnt that villagers fight for water, as it happens that water from the truck will be depleted before some people get water.

The nearby villages of Tshikuwi and Luvhalani, who have water tanks in the streets, also complained that it is not easy for them to get water.

These villages are suffering more because, like other rural area, there are very limited households that have boreholes in their yard.

According to the spokesman of the South African Civic Organization (Sanco) at Tshikuwi village, Mr Simon Ramabulana, the water crisis in the village started with the new political dispensation in 1994.

Ramabulana added that they had already reported the problem to the local municipality (Makhado), but nothing happened. "The water problem in the village is also affecting children’s education. Learners are forced to rush home to queue for water. They no longer attend to their afternoon studies," said Ramabulana, a teacher.

He further revealed that he was disappointed to see that the municipality had also connected pipes to another nearby village from the little water they have. "We are not refusing to share; it is just that our water is too little. How can we share water that does not cater for our own households?" he complained.

The young boys in the village are now making money as they sell water from their donkey cart. The 13-year-old Prince Mudau of Luvhalani village confirmed that they sell water for R25.00 per drum.

Asked about the municipality’s plan to address the problem, the spokesman for VDM, Mr Ndivhuwo Mamathuba, told Mirror that areas which do not have connected water pipes must consult their local municipalities. He added that as district municipality they address challenges on bulk water supply and the ones encountered at the reservoir.

"Connection of water taps is done by local municipalities," Mamathuba indicated. He added that the VDM is busy erecting reservoir dams at Vuwani and Valdezia in the Mashau area, as a long-term plan to address water challenges in the areas that are without water.

"The dams will receive water from the Nandoni Dam and supply to areas that don’t have enough water, such as Mashamba, Mulima, Dzanani, Sinthumule Kutama and other respective areas," he said..

The spokesman for the Makhado Municipality, Mr Louis Bobodi, was not available for comment.