Open letter on access to water in rural Limpopo
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A member of one of our client communities, Butibuti Mabuso, has written an open letter to the President about the lack of access to water in rural Limpopo
Honourable President
I am writing this public request to you, Mr President, highlighting the suffering of the communities of Ward 15 Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality. The communities of Elandskraal, Morarela, Mbuzini, Tsantsabela and Dichoeung have been suffering for almost 17 years without proper provision of water as a result of a conspiracy against them by the Sekhukhune District Municipality.
For your information, Mr President, these communities previously had the uninterrupted supply of water on a 24 hour basis. We had our own water supply pumps. Since the establishment of the Flag Boshielo water plant, these communities no longer have water on a 24 hour basis. Water is being supplied irregularly with no clean water. Our plant was destroyed when the provision of water supply was given to Lepelle water. Our plant was destroyed under the pretext that they make one big plant that will be able to supply the region.
For the past 17 years, they changed meter at Elandskraal four times but without water. The communities have protested, approached different Ministers of water and sanitation, local government and the Presidency under the previous administration - but in vain. Also your government was taken to court in which the judgment was in our favour but nothing happened. Your Lepelle District Municipality officials just do as they like with pure impunity.
They can lie as they like because in the end no one will account for their actions. This is intentional.
When the demarcations of local municipalities came into power they found us having had fought for services, such as Home Affairs, Social Development, Public works, Provision of water and just administration. Honourable President, all these services have been taken away from us by your government. What we experience in our communities is the total abuse of our loyalty and trust we bestowed unto your government. Does that mean when we voted your party into power we voted for such services to be taken away?
Next year, we are going for elections. Should we continue to vote your government that will take all our hard fought for gains away from us? When all South Africans are enjoying the fruits of liberation and democracy, we mourn for the loss of services inflicted upon us by your officials. Using the water provision as a weapon against the people. Maybe we are not people but look like them.
Honourable President, we believe in you to come to our rescue. Please we request your intervention to ensure our dignity returns to us as humans.
Maybe your officials at Sekhukhune District Municipality do not know that we are humans. Please restore our humanity.
To show that we are not being taken serious there is a pipe that passes through our villages with water on a 24/7 basis. This pipe supplies Polokwane and Lebowakgomo. Because of poverty in these villages, we are not so important when coming to services. But we are more important for elections.
Finally, Mr President, as you embark on operation Thuma Mina we therefore "Thuma" the Honourable President to visit these villages to get first hand information from communities and restore our dignity and humanity.
I therefore avail myself if needs be for more information on this crisis. We can also provide the presidency with correspondence to show that we have approached your government in vain.
Hope our plea will today enter ears that care for humanity.
Kind regards
Butibuti Mabuso, concerned resident of Elandskraal