‘We want water now not in 2025’, Musina residents lambast Mchunu’s long term water plan

The visit to Limpopo by Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has been labelled a waste of time by the residents of Musina, who are waiting for the government to provide them with clean, running water.

Those who spoke to The Citizen on Thursday said they were disappointed to learn that Mchunu and Lepelle Northern Water have decided to bring clean, running water to their communities only after 2025.

In a meeting between Mchunu, Lepelle Northern Water and the Vhembe district municipality this week, a plan was hatched to share water with the Zimbabwe government from the newly constructed phase 2 Beitbridge Water Treatment Works, which has excess capacity, for the benefit of the people of this cross-border town.

The feasibility and design stages, according to Mchunu, will take approximately 18 months and construction is envisaged to start by the end of 2024 or early 2025.

But this did not sit well with the residents of Musina, who called Mchunu’s visit to the province a total waste of time.

Contona Munyai, a resident of Nancefield in Musina, likened his life now to a person living the dark ages. “One can no longer spot the difference between animals and us.

We live like wild animals because we compete for the same commodity, water, in rivers and fountains. “If his visit to the province was to play with our lives, he better think again.

“We need water in Musina now, not in 2025, because we will be dead by then,” said Munyai.

Another resident, Victor Madzibandela of extension 10 in Mmatswale section said: “We receive water daily from the municipal water tankers.

ALSO READ: ‘We walk 3km’: Water woes still plague Limpopo

“But the water is not enough. This is bad because we use flushing toilets.

“Our houses and streets are now characterised by a pong because after the 20 litres of water we get is finished, we are unable to flush the toilets.

“That means, we no longer cook, bath, wash or water our gardens. Mchunu and his cronies must go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan that provides plenty of water,” said Madzibandela.

This week, Mchunu said government had decided to construct a dam on the Mutale River for use in the Luvuvhu-Letaba catchment and water from there would be transferred to Musina.