LIMPOPO – IN SPITE of living in the land of the rainmakers, angry residents of Kgapane in the Modjadjiskloof area have been going thirsty for weeks without a drop of water in their yards.
Police officials at the Bolobedu police station had to fetch water in buckets in order to flush their toilets.
So serious is the situation that some senior citizens had to relieve themselves in plastic bags at night and get rid of the waste the following morning.
The situation has been prevalent in schools and clinics around Kgapane and the sprawling villages of the Modjadji royal family.
The Modjadjis are world renowned for their supernatural rainmaking powers. According to legend, they use their rare magical horn to speak to their ancestors who respond by bringing rain to Limpopo. But ironically, the area is now as dry as a desert resulting in residents going thirsty for days.
On Friday angry residents took to the streets in protest against the water shortage. Protest organiser, Simon Mangena, accused the municipality of not having the interests of its own people at heart. He accused the Greater Letaba Municipality of providing dirty water in water trucks, and said this could cause an outbreak of cholera.
“In South Africa it has become common that those who complain about a lack of services are labelled as neo-liberal and some other political terms deemed insulting. But we are not going to be yellow-bellied. We are going to fight with everything we have to ensure that services in Kgapane are delivered with precision and distinction,” Mangena said.
Another resident, Alpheus Makomeni, said the rate of crime in the area had escalated as more women were being raped while collecting water far away. “We are at war. We want re-gravelled and tarred roads, we want work opportunities and we want transparent leadership,” he said.
In response, Greater Letaba mayor, City Modjadji, said said the plight of residents was genuine and currently getting attention. Modjadji said the municipality was working hand in hand with Lepelle Northern Water, which is the water authority in the province.
