Limpopo’s taps still run dry as Mchunu set to conduct site visits

Barely a week after a water strike in Musina, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu is in Limpopo in a bid to find ways of turning around the water situation affecting many parts of the province.

On Tuesday, Mchunu’s office said the minister would conduct site visits to the Vondo water supply scheme, Mavambe pump station and the Nandoni-Nsami pipeline in the Vhembe district.

The minister will be accompanied by his deputies, David Mahlobo and Dikeledi Magadzi.

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“The site visits are part of the ministerial working sessions taking place for the whole week in Limpopo, where Mchunu will be engaging with the provincial government, various municipalities, Lepelle Northern Water, and stakeholders to assess the state of water and sanitation security in the province.

“The visit is also aimed at finding ways to turn around the challenges faced by the water sector in the province,” Department of Water and Sanitation spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said.

The Vhembe district municipality will need a total of R9.2 billion to end the chronic shortage of water in the region, according to its water backlog report.

Vhembe district has seen a spate of protest marches against the government’s failure to provide clean running water to many communities and towns.

Some of the protests have left irreparable marks on community, provincial and national roads, including the busy N1 road between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

With only about R100 million set aside by the district municipality from its own funds, it seems the dreams of the thirsty 1.4 million rural people in Vhembe will remain dreams.

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The Vhembe region consist of four local municipalities: Thulamela, Makhado, Musina and Collins Chabane.

According to the water backlog report, the Thulamela local municipality, which is the biggest in terms of population would require R1.3 billion, Collins Chabane R3 billion, Makhado R2.6 billion and Musina R1.3 billion to address the water backlog and refurbish aging infrastructure.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday the Vhembe district had wasted money meant for water projects by investing R316 million with the collapsed VBS Mutual Bank.

There are several incomplete water projects in Limpopo, including the presidential R3.3 billion Giyani bulk water project, the R143 million Moutse drought relief project and the stalled Nandoni/Nsami pipeline project in Venda.