Thohoyandou - Water shortages may be a thing of the past for communities in Limpopo's Vhembe District Municipality, where some residents have never had clean running water.
The municipality has set aside more than R700 million this financial year to implement water and sanitation projects, according to Vhembe's General Manager for Development and Planning, Masala Makumule.
Makumule said the projects would be implemented in the four local municipalities of Mutale, Makhado, Thulamela and Musina.
"We admit that many of these areas are without clean tap water, but we are changing the situation for the better," says Makumule.
He said part of the R700 million had already been used to start connecting water pipes from the Mutale river to serve the Helula, Ha-Mabila and Gwangwatini areas that do not have tap water.
Mutale municipal spokesperson, Moss Shibambu, said the Mutale project, which is worth R14 million, started in April this year and is expected to be completed in January next year.
"We use to depend on the river to collect water to cook, drink and for washing. We are happy now that the district has remembered us," said one villager, Tshifhiwa Mundalamo.
