Vhembe district cites budget woes for failure to provide water

Limpopo’s Vhembe district municipality blames the budgetary constraints for its inability to provide water to the communities. Residents at Phugwani village in Malamulele are accusing the municipality of having failed to fulfil the promise to drill a borehole since 2024.

32 years into democracy, residents at Phugwani village outside Malamulele in Limpopo rely on fountain water. They share a water source with animals. The main pipeline which supplies to their village and other villages in the Ntlhaveni area is dilapidated and in a state of… pic.twitter.com/jOEf9TecqI
— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 1, 2026

Residents rely on a fountain as a source of water for domestic use. The main water pipeline from water plants in the Levubu river is dilapidated and in a state of disrepair. District municipality spokesperson Moss Shivambu says they don’t have enough budget.
“We do have a challenge because we are operating under an unfunded budget, but during this year, the 2026/2027 financial year, we are working on a budget to drill a borehole at Phugwani village. We assist Phugwani village, including other villages have water challenges through water tankering.”
 
www.sabcnews.com, https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/vhembe-district-cites-budget-woes-for-failure-to-provide-water/