Maphuti Masalesa (78) from Tshikwarani, a village in Limpopo’s Makhado municipality, has been without electricity for almost three years after his connection cable was stolen. He claims Eskom demanded a R6000 reconnection fee, which he cannot afford.
“I am a pensioner and I have no source of income other than the social grant,” says Masalesa, who now uses gas for cooking and has no plan for lighting his house. He has resigned himself to preparing dinner early, before sunset.
Masalesa is one of many residents in Tshikwarani facing challenges of basic delivery. 200 new houses were built on land provided by the council, but electricity has not been installed in many of these.
35-year-old Aluwani Situruwani’s house is not connected to the grid. He’s forced to use firewood for cooking, spending R800 a month. This is a hefty cost for unemployed Sturawani, who survives on part-time work. Beyond the cost, Situruwani says that having electricity would significantly improve his quality of life.
“I have to cook outside as I live in one room with my wife. There is no space for making fire in that one room. It becomes very difficult, especially during rainy days,” he says.
No access to piped water
Rudzani Lisoga, the chairperson of Kutama Concerned Group, says the village has never had piped tap water at all. Some residents have drilled boreholes, but most have to purchase water, paying R3 per 25 litre container.
The water is delivered to a communal JoJo tank three times a week by a private supplier from the nearby village of Midoroni. If a delivery is missed, the community must travel to other villages to buy water.
“We pay R280 per month for the water,” says Munana Mukondeleli, “which has to be used sparingly.”
Dangerous Road
Earlier this month, community members staged a protest at the municipal offices in Makhado, calling on authorities to tend to the issues in their village. Another of their major complaints is road D3715, the main road connecting Tshikwarani residents to the town of Louis Trichardt. Parts of the road are tarred, but the section running through Tshiwarani has deteriorated into a gravel road riddled with potholes.
“Every time when our children leave for school we feel very uncomfortable as the road is now very badly riddled with potholes. We have witnessed several accidents on the D3715 road,” says Thinavhuyo Mulaudzi, a local parent.
Another concern is dust from the road being blown into public facilities like the Kutama Clinic and Tshiulela High School. “We are pleading with the municipality to tar this road as we are endangering the lives of the learners, educators and patients at the clinic,” says Lisoga.
The municipality is yet to respond to the community’s grievances. – Health-e News
