‘No water, no vote,’ say Limpopo residents

'Sometimes this one borehole produces enough for laundry and for cooking and drinking, but some days are bad' Some thirsty communities in the Greater Letaba Local Municipality in Limpopo have threatened to boycott the upcoming local government elections, accusing the Mopani District Municipality of failing to provide clean running water since the 2021 municipal polls. The disgruntled residents told The Citizen this week that months before the first democratic elections in 1994, the ANC promised them “a better life for all”. Instead, they claim they now compete for water with wild animals in wells, dongas and nearby rivers. Some disenchanted villagers, mostly women in Ward 2, said they have to dig deep into their pockets to buy water from well-off residents with boreholes at home, at an exorbitant fee. LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more! View Map Boreholes but no water During a recent visit to the ward, Jimmy Molewa of Ga-Moshakga village poured out his heart about his daily struggle with water. “During the ANC campaign, months before the 1994 first democratic elections, the party promised us one important thing – water on our doorstep. It said that when it ultimately wins the elections, it will create a better life for all. “But for years now, this oldest African political party of our great ancestors has failed to provide this so-called better life,” said Molewa. The trip is part of The Citizen‘s travels across the length and breadth of the country to explore the lives, struggles, successes and frustrations of everyday South Africans ahead of this year’s local government elections. Molewa said he has seen proof that five boreholes were drilled in the ward, according to municipal records. “But of the five, only one borehole produces water. The other four are dry. When we went to enquire at the Mopani District offices in Kgapane, the system indicated that an additional three boreholes were duplicated, bringing the total of boreholes drilled to eight. “My question is, where are these additional three? How much did they cost? Can officials explain where the money went?” asked Molewa. Another disgruntled resident, Percy Ngobeni, also of Ward 2, alleged that the Mopani District Municipality was paying a hefty monthly salary to a borehole operator for doing nothing. “Since the boreholes stopped producing water, he has gone AWOL. We searched for him on several occasions, but he was nowhere to be found. We understand the man has since left home in August last year and is currently doing odd jobs elsewhere,” he alleged. “Some say since he comes highly recommended in construction, he is busy building houses in another town and only coming back home when there is a close family bereavement,” said Ngobeni. Boycotting the elections Both Ngobeni and Molewa said they will not take part in the November polls and will lobby other villagers to boycott the elections in their ward. “We are resolute in our demand – no water, no vote,” they said on Friday. A sizeable number of women doing laundry at a communal tap on the road between Ga-Madlesa and Mmamphakhathi also expressed displeasure about the water situation. “We live at the tip of this mountain near Makaba and Khetoni. Every week, we carry our laundry in wheelbarrows to this tap. This ward has 7 000 residents. “Sometimes this one borehole produces enough for laundry and for cooking and drinking, but some days are bad,” said a woman who only introduced herself as Mammikie. Picture: Alex Japho Matlala. Another woman, who asked that her name be withheld for fear of victimisation, said the municipality used to supply the community with water by tanker. “But nowadays they only come once a month or nothing at all. Now that we are going to elections, they promise us heaven and earth. We have since agreed in principle, as the women responsible for our households, not to vote in November,” she said. Mother nature to blame Pressed for comment, the Mopani District Municipality blamed nature as the cause of water shortages in the ground and in the ward. “Due to shortages of groundwater in the system, the Mopani District Municipality will proceed with the hydrological assessment that will advise the municipality on a long-term and sustainable solution to improve water supply in the area,” municipal spokesperson Mildred Risaba told The Citizen. “We can confirm that four boreholes were drilled in Moshakga, and one of the four is operational. One served Moshakga village, while the other serves another part of the area. However, we are not aware of the three duplicated boreholes. “We can also confirm that the borehole operator is available in the village and that the satellite manager met him and confirmed he is at his operational post,” said Risaba. Risaba said that while the council was currently supplying additional water by tankering, the municipality was working around the clock to refurbish two boreholes to augment water supply in the area. She said the pumping capacity of one borehole will be upgraded by replacing a 5.5kW pump with an 11kW pump to improve distribution. “We will also equip one borehole that has less yield with a 1.1kW borehole pump, which will be driven by the operator. We anticipate completing this intervention by 21 September 2026,” Risaba said. During her visit to the Seshego Purification Plant in Polokwane, Water Minister Pemmy Majodina said South Africa will need about R400 billion to fix ailing water infrastructure, illegal connections, and revenue sabotage.