Molemole protest about lack of water supply

Angry residents of Mogwadi (Dendron) in Molemole local municipality took to the streets in Limpopo this week to protest against irregular payments of water services due to the municipality’s wayward water billing system.

The move comes after overwhelming complaints by residents that they were paying for water they had not received. Some residents said yesterday they have been without water for up to two months.

Desperate and frustrated residents have blocked roads with burning tyres and rocks in a bid to force the municipality to correct the situation. Although the situation remains tense, the roads were open but municipal offices remained closed.

The Democratic Alliance, which had conducted an oversight visit in the area, said while provincially 73.3% of households received water from a service provider, in the Molemole municipality, only 54% of households had this service.

“Our residents are suffering. We have growing concerns around hygiene and health,” said DA councillor for the Molemole local municipality Calvin Matjee yesterday.

Matjee said the party was demanding answers from the ANC-led council on how they will deal with the impasse.

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“We are saying this because it is written in the stars that the Molemole municipality has a constitutional mandate to ensure that all residents have access to water,” he said.

“By the look of things, the municipality has failed to master this practice dismally,” said Matjee.

He said the DA would not rest until the people of Molemole received fair treatment on their water billing. Municipal spokesperson Ma’sforo Mashegoane said the municipality was aware of the protest and that the entity would comment fully on the sitaution after having studied the DA’s media statement.

The protest by the residents comes hard on the heels of World Water Day on Monday.

In light of this, the national department of water and sanitation under Minister Senzo Mchunu has encouraged South Africans, particularly those hard-hit by drought, to harvest groundwater.

Groundwater, according to the department, was a national asset and an integral part of SA’s water resources, which has helped to reduce the backlog for domestic water supply.