Angry residents close Nandoni Water Plant; 54 villages without water

Promises and more empty promises caused residents of Ha-Mutoti and surrounding communities including Ha-Budeli, Tshikhudini and Ha-Mukomaasinanndu to shut down the Nandoni Water Plant last week.

This left 54 villages without water, as well as Thohoyandou and its CBD.

The Chairperson of the Nandoni Complaints Resolution Committee (NCRC), Solomon Baloyi said the issue of connecting water to the communities remains at the centre of their dissatisfaction.

“We have had some engagement with the Department of Water and Sanitation that government have built reservoirs in our areas, but we are without water due the fact that there are no Y-junction pipes (which connect water from the dam to the reservoir). The department is dragging its feet in coming up with a solution.”

He said they are furthermore worried that the department was ‘playing delay tactics’ in compensating households affected by construction at Nandoni Dam. “They are not fulfilling their promise, which said we could get payment before the end of last year. We were happy when the Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo made the promise, but only a few families have been paid so far.”

According to Baloyi, the department is giving away offer forms, that are like salary advices to the people and some have been receiving the letters for nine months, but only 300 households from the 1 400 affected households have received their monies.

Baloyi and some stakeholders met the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, Lindiwe Sisulu in December last year to try to resolve the matter, which according to them was long overdue.

The Vhembe District Municipality Spokesperson, Moss Shibambu earlier issued a statement informing the communities that the villages supplied by Nandoni Water Plant will experience water shortages, due to the shutdown of the plant.

Meanwhile, Water Spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau said the department condemned the closure of the Nandoni Dam Water Treatment operation by the affected communities in Ha-Mutoti and surrounding communities.

Ratau said protesters had overpowered security personnel guarding the plant, took the keys, locked it and that this has far-reaching implications for the communities who receive water from the plant.

“After the closure of the water plant at Nandoni Dam, the Provincial Head of the Department, Lucy Kobe established that the problem was the non-functioning pump station from Tshilulungoma village-Ha-Mutoti. This has been repaired but it cannot be tested as the plant was closed by angry communities,” he said.

He condemned the actions in the strongest terms, saying it negatively affects service delivery.