THOHOYANDOU, Limpopo — Residents of Dopeni-Matsharini are demanding clean water as service delivery failures remain at the heart of voter concerns ahead of the November poll. For more than 30 years, this Limpopo village has been forced to rely on underground hot spring water as a compromised source that residents are compelled to share with wild animals and livestock.
Situated at the foot of the Soutpansberg mountain, the community depends entirely on this natural underground spring due to the complete absence of clean running water. Residents report that the water source is frequently contaminated by consistent littering and the dumping of carcasses, posing a severe health risk to the community. Local community members emphasize that baboons, monkeys, dogs, and livestock regularly drink from the same two available water sources, mixing with dirt and creating unsafe drinking conditions. Despite having a nearby hospital within walking distance, villagers stress that basic water service delivery remains nonexistent.
Since 1994, the village has endured acute water shortages, leaving elderly and sick residents with no choice but to fetch water daily from these hazardous springs. Community voices highlight the desperate need for intervention, noting that drinking the same water as animals is fundamentally detrimental to public health.
According to community leaders, Dopeni-Matsharini is one of several villages that were originally slated to benefit from the nearby Mutshedzi Water Treatment Plant. However, infrastructure developments have fallen short of expectations. Two reservoirs and a borehole, specifically constructed to supply water to the village and surrounding communities, have reportedly not supplied a single drop of water. Locals point out that one of the reservoirs functioned for merely a year before stopping, while the additional borehole remains non-operational, leaving the community’s pleas for help unanswered.
In response to the ongoing crisis, the Vhembe District Municipality has stated that officials from its technical department have been deployed to expedite progress at the Mutshedzi Water Treatment Plant. Moses Shivambu, spokesperson for the municipality, confirmed that the technical department has recalled contractors to assess the areas experiencing these critical challenges.
Shivambu explained that these contractors are currently on site working to identify the root causes preventing water from reaching the affected communities. He assured the public that a full report on the findings and operational progress will be released in due course. Additionally, Shivambu highlighted that illegal water connections have further stalled progress and compromised the plant’s operational efficiency, complicating municipal efforts to restore reliable service to the region.
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