A severe and persistent water crisis has left residents across Polokwane and surrounding areas, including Seshego and the central business district, in a desperate situation, with many forced to collect water from communal points and rely on allegedly contaminated tanker deliveries.
The Polokwane Municipality has confirmed widespread water cuts, attributing the problem to aging infrastructure and critical capacity constraints at its bulk water supplier, Lepelle Northern Water. The municipality admitted the region is water-scarce and currently faces a daily water provision deficit of just over 50 million liters.
In Seshego, community members described dire living conditions. One resident highlighted the health risks, stating, “We struggling to flush and then… the toilet is smelling… some kids they catch up like fast when they go to the toilet for the bacterias.” Another raised grave concerns over water quality from delivery trucks: “The trucks… sometimes bring us water that appears to be discolored. We just drink because we are desperate and the water then makes us fall sick.”
A resident voiced the extreme hardship, pleading, “We are seriously struggling. I have not been able to bath for about 2 weeks. Please help us.”
Municipal officials acknowledged recent cuts were due to pipe bursts and problems at the supply plants. A spokesperson explained that emergency repairs and essential maintenance by Lepelle Northern Water had led to inadequate supply from the Ebenezer and Olifantsfontein plants. “In response, we have proactively relied on Dalmada and Sterkwater treatment plants and also our boreholes to supplement supply,” the spokesperson said.
Lepelle Northern Water, the bulk supplier, outlined a massive infrastructure investment plan to address the root causes. A spokesperson for the entity stated, “We have invested over 900 million rand to stabilize critical infrastructure, including replacing aging pumps first installed in the ’90s.” The spokesperson confirmed the practical completion of pumping station and pipeline replacements and revealed a future investment program valued at approximately 23 billion rand. This long-term plan aims to increase supply capacity to meet projected demand up to 2046.
Despite these long-term plans, the immediate crisis continues. The Polokwane Municipality stated it is working on a turnaround strategy to address the widespread outages, as residents endure the daily struggle without a reliable water supply.