The Tshivhangani community received some relief from the severe lack of water they have been experiencing for the past few years when the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) at long last arrived to drill a new borehole at the village last week.

Taps at this village have been without a drop of water for the past two years since their borehole broke down. The residents were at the point of losing all hope that the VDM would ever come to fix the borehole, so that they could have clean drinking water again, when the municipality finally came to their aid.

The borehole was drilled last Monday (8 May). Although the residents still do not have running water from their own taps in their homes, the new borehole provides them with two communal water stations, which were set up and ready for use by Wednesday (10 May).

The VDM’s spokesperson, Mr Matodzi Ralushai, urged the community to look after the borehole and prevent vandalisation or tampering with in any way. “I am appealing to everybody in the community to safeguard the borehole, because there might be people who will be targeting the borehole. We will be erecting more boreholes in due time,” he said.

One of the residents, Ms Promise Rasoesoe, was excited and happy that the community finally had clean water again. “Our people have been thirsty for a long time, even when we tried many times to engage the municipality. We know many other communities have the same challenges as we have here, so we are thankful for this clean water,” she said.