Vhembe district municipality sets aside R4m to address chronic water shortages

The Vhembe district municipality in Limpopo says it is working around the clock to reverse chronic water shortages in the area. Under the stewardship of its mayor, Dowelani Nenguda, the municipality has set aside a total of R4 million to resuscitate two main bulk water supply projects.

The two projects, budgeted at R12 million and R25 million in Ntabalala and Mulima, had not been functioning since they were completed due to construction defects and the continuing drought that has hit the region for the past 10 years.

“Our people need water and we are hard at work to provide them with such,” the municipality said yesterday.

“We have since adjusted the budget and set aside R4 million to turn the situation around.”

The national department of water and sanitation said the water storage in Limpopo’s reservoirs was at an average state, at 59.7% this week, a drop from 60.5% last week and slightly better compared to the 53.3% it was during the same period last year.

“South African remains a water-scarce country and Limpopo is no exception. Therefore, it remains important that water consumers should use water with utmost care and value it,” said spokesperson for the water and sanitation department Sputnik Ratau in a statement.

He noted that the department was working on water projects in Limpopo, such as the transfer of water from Crocodile River to Lephalale by Constructing the Mokolo Crocodile (West) Water Augmentation Project.

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