Vhembe District Municipality installed a brand fresh pump last week, and promised to approach repair the damaged boreholes in Tshifudi Tshikombele village
A younger man residing in the water-scarce village of Tshifudi Tshikombele in Limpopo took the initiative to dig a 15-metre successfully to stable underground water for his community.
Thonifhani Dzebu, 25, grew up in the village with more than 3,000 households the place earn real of entry to to successfully-organized running water has been a predominant misfortune for years. Most residents had been collecting water from a river the place they additionally wash their dresses and ship cattle to graze and drink.
Residents verbalize that while the village has a few taps, they only procure water as soon as a month. The availability is a detailed-by dam, which they bellow is unsafe.The village additionally has four boreholes which don’t have any longer operated for more than 25 years, verbalize residents.
Uninterested in sharing water with animals, Dzebu took a pick, shovel, and hammer, and selected a residing the place he believed underground water will likely be stumbled on. He spent three months digging the deep gap. Every time using a long rope to climb internal and out of the successfully, with some succor from his sister and mother.
Despite the tough stipulations, Dzebu acknowledged he remains serious about securing a water supply for his community to lower the necessity for people to get hang of water from the river. He has already stumbled on some water, but needs to dig deeper to discover a ample quantity.
“This area has been without water for a long time. It’s a serious challenge as we have to walk long distances to get to the local river and fountains which we share with animals at. This water is not even clean and people might get sick,” he acknowledged.
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Dzebu believes that the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) has failed to supply the community with water.
When GroundUp visited the village on 14 September, some residents were at a tiny river washing dresses and thirsty cattle were additionally there. Nearby, there became a tiny fountain.
A month ago, residents protested for water, blocking off roads and halting all actions in the village. Nonetheless, the recount has yet to yield any results, and their misfortune remains unchanged.
“We feel neglected by the government,” acknowledged resident Tshilidzi Ndou. “The water in these small rivers is drying up due to the hot weather. Soon, we will be forced to go to the Luvuvhu River, where there are crocodiles that killed one of our own in 2022.”
Vhembe District Municipality spokesperson Matodzi Ralushai acknowledged the municipality plans to upgrade the Xikundu Water Remedy Works to amplify water supply to the village. He acknowledged that the municipality installed one fresh pump last week. “The municipality is still waiting for two new pumps to be delivered, and we will repair the non-functional boreholes,” Ralushai acknowledged.
While Dzebu is no longer if fact be told obvious how deep he will silent have to dig to attain more water, he’s residing to succor his village.
