23 May 2025
Residents of ward 6 in Springs under the Molemole Municipality in Limpopo say the water tanks are only filled once a month, so water often runs out. Their RDP houses have taps, but they haven’t had running water for years. Photos: Bernard Chiguvare
Junior Ramalatso of Springs in Molemole Municipality’s Ward 6 has to use her R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant to buy water each month.
According to dozens of residents we spoke to, water tanks were installed ten years ago, but the municipality only fills the tanks every month or every second month, so water often runs out. While the houses have taps, they haven’t had running water for years.
Ramalatso said she buys water every day from a neighbour across the road who drilled their own borehole years ago. On average, she uses three 25-litre containers of water per day, and more on Fridays when she does laundry. She says she does not know how she would have managed without the borehole.
The water authority for Molemole is Capricorn District Municipality. It installed the water tanks in Springs as part of a broader water infrastructure project to improve water access. “Unfortunately [the tanks] were severely vandalised and damaged before its completion. Such incidents not only delay service delivery but also result in the loss of valuable public resources,” said Jabu Masondo, Capricorn spokesperson.
Masondo told GroundUp that seven boreholes intended to provide water to the area were vandalised and a 1.5km Eskom cable was stolen. “To carry out the repairs [the municipality] is waiting for Eskom to re-energise the boreholes so that they resume operation.” But Masondo said more funding is needed.
Junior Ramalatso shows the tap in her yard of her RDP house which has been dry for over ten years.
Residents claim the municipality rarely sends trucks to fill the 5,000-litre tanks around the ward. Desperate for water, some households resorted to illegally connecting to municipal pipes that supply Molemole Hospital and the Botlokwa Police Station.
We asked how the hospital and police station had water, but not the houses. To which Masondo said that those buildings were under the Department of Public Works which maintains the boreholes and septic tanks.
Community leader Seleka Mafeelane said the CDM failed the people of Springs: “We have elderly residents living off social grants who now spend part of that money to buy water. This is unacceptable. We call on CDM to deliver water to Ward 6.”
Resident Phuti Mokgatshi drilled her own borehole. “There was a municipal tap in my yard, but since the installation, I’ve never received water. I tried to connect illegally to the main line passing through my yard, but still got no water. I had no choice but to drill a borehole,” said Mokgatshi.