Drought-stricken Limpopo communities finally get thrown a lifeline

The Limpopo provincial government has received 27 water trucks from the national department of water and sanitation, as part of a plan to thwart the spread of coronavirus in the province.

The province, which is 80% rural, has also received about 138 JoJo tanks from the ministry.

The trucks and the tanks will be delivered to rural areas, hard-hit by the shortage. MEC for cooperative governance, human settlement and traditional affairs, Basikopo Makamu said yesterday that the province was also still waiting for another budge of 120 trucks from the national ministry.

Makamu said the new gesture was aimed at helping rural people have adequate drinkable water for their household needs and for the fight against the deadly coronavirus. He said his department had been inundated with calls from people, especially in rural areas calling for the provision of water, especially since the lockdown.

“We may not be able to provide everyone with water but we are trying within our means to make sure that our people have water in their houses on their streets and within a short distance to wash their hands after exchanging hands or shaking hands with someone in an effort to curb the spread of the Covid-19,” he said.

Makamu added that the distribution had already begun in earnest in Ga-Molepo and in the Sekhukhune area. He said his department has planned to escalate the distribution to other areas in the five districts of the province.

Earlier this week the community of Klipheuvel in the Lepelle Nkumpi appealed to the Capricorn district municipality to provide them with water following months of dry taps.

The community said their concerted pleas to have water supplied in their villages yielded nothing as the municipality continued to give them the cold shoulder.

During a visit by Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha and his executive to the drought-stricken town of Giyani, residents highlighted the difficulty they faced to fight the spread of coronavirus without water.

The area has been in crisis since 2009 after two of the town’s dams, the Middle-Letaba and Nsami dams, went dry, resulting in communities being forced to haul water from the river. Matters came to a head after the department clashed with the service provider contracted by former water and sanitation minister Nomvula Mokonyane to provide water to the area.

“We are taking the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa very seriously. Since Tuesday after the announcement by the president, our premier, Stan Mathabatha, and his executive is visiting all regions, towns, villages and farm settlements to sink down the president’s message of sting at home, washing hands for 20 seconds and sanitising our hands among other cautions. We have already been to Sekhukhune and part of Capricorn district spreading the message of combating the spread. But in the same vein we are providing portable water to our communities faced with acute shortages of water,” said Makamu of the latest intervention.

“With the help of our councillors, community development workers, headmen and officials from municipalities, we are taking counts of areas that urgently need water to fight the spread. We are still waiting for over 120 trucks and JoJo tanks from the national department of water and sanitation. We believe in a few weeks, all areas experiencing water shortages to wash hands during and after the lockdown will have water.”

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