For years, residents in Vyeboom village in Vuwani, Limpopo have been battling severe water shortages. They have been forced to travel long distances to fetch water from nearby villages. 

Now that is changing. 

They will benefit from a community project which will see boreholes being drilled to help ease their water supply burden. It comes as a partnership between the community and a non-governmental organisation, Fastforward Community Development Centre (FCDC). 

Not in democratic SA 

FCDC executive director, Akson Ndou says he was deeply touched when he heard the plight of the residents. “We were approached by community leaders who told us about the water supply challenges in the Vyeboom village in Vuwani. Residents are forced to travel long kilometres to fetch water from nearby villages, using wheelbarrows and buckets which is something people should no longer be doing in a democratic South Africa,” says Ndou.

 “We will be drilling about two boreholes in the village which will help with water supply to more than 500 residents,” Ndou says. 

“I believe it will be a welcome relief to several of them whom for years have been forced to buy water from fellow villagers who have boreholes and water tankers at their homes. A single bucket of water can cost about R3 which can prove to be too much for some of the residents,” he says.

“The site where we will be drilling the boreholes has structures which used to belong to the department of agriculture, and we are going to also turn the infrastructures into a training centre where we will show locals how to start and maintain vegetable gardens. The boreholes will serve a dual purpose; household water supply and irrigation for plants,” adds Ndou. 

Earlier this year, many residents in Vuwani village didn’t participate in the national election in protest over lack of basic services such as water shortages, sewage spills in town, and uncollected rubbish bins. 

Rectifying the problem 

In Waterval, residents are still without water supply despite several complaints to the Vhembe District Municipality. “We have grown tired of raising the water issue with the local municipality because no matter how many times we raise the issue, they don’t seem to care,” says Sylvester Mulaudzi, a Waterval resident.

Spokesperson for the Vhembe District Municipality, Matodzi Ralushai says: “We currently have water projects we are busy within the Vuwani villages, which will soon be completed and once we are done those villages will no longer experience water shortages. Some of the projects are already at an advanced stage and soon they will be supplying villagers with running water.” 

Ralushai says there are water shortages in villages getting their supply from Middle Letaba dam which is currently running low, but they have plans in place which includes utilising boreholes. – Health-e News