School Children in Vhembe Wake Up at 4:30AM to Fetch Water

Learners in Mabilingwe village, Limpopo, wake up as early as 4.30am to fetch water before preparing for school.

Before going to school, learners wake up as early as 4:30am to fetch water in Mabilingwe village in north-east Limpopo. They pull up to six 25-litre containers on trolleys along the D3708 road to a borehole, a round trip of up to ten kilometres. Only then can they bath and prepare for school.

In 2021, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) reported how villagers, like those in Mabilingwe, were struggling to get water because various water projects were failing to deliver water in the Vhembe district.

The SAHRC revisited the area last month. “We are not happy about the situation,” said Victor Mavhidula, the commission’s Limpopo manager.

Millions have been spent on water projects by the national Department of Water and Sanitation. But because of Vhembe District Municipality’s dysfunctional reticulation systems, water is not reaching residents. Pumps and reservoirs are broken and deteriorating, said Mavhidula.

Mavhidula said the SAHRC may consider taking court action.

In its 2021 report, the SAHRC noted that the national Department of Water and Sanitation was failing in its oversight role and not intervening when municipalities failed to provide water, in contravention of the Water Services Act.

Department spokesperson Wisane Mavasa told GroundUp that it holds monthly meetings where municipalities report on the progress of their water projects, including challenges and solutions. There are also site inspections.

Grace Munisi, a mother of five in Mabilingwe village, said she has to make a 7km round trip every day to fetch water from a borehole, and one trip is insufficient. Alternatively, she has to buy water.

In Thulamela Local Municipality, families in the villages of Mukoma, Ha-Mutoti, Tshilungoma, Nweli, Tshotanini and Mphego experience prolonged water outages. Villagers said this is because the reservoir takes a long time to refill.

“Those who have taps at home installed them using their own money,” said Solomon Baloyi, chairperson of the Nandoni Complaints Resolution Committee, a community structure originally formed by residents who were relocated to make way for the construction of Nandoni dam.

Matsheka Maluta, an elderly resident, said the main water supply pipes leak.

In parts of Louis Trichardt town, taps were dry from 15 to 21 March. One of 18 food vendors with stalls near Shoprite said he needs 180 litres of water at a cost of R45 a day.

Vhembe District Municipality spokesperson Matodzi Ralushai has not responded to our questions for nearly two weeks, despite numerous follow-up attempts by GroundUp.

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