MAFEFE VILLAGE, LIMPOPO — Residents in Mafefe Village are facing a severe water crisis, grappling with both extreme water scarcity and alleged asbestos contamination in local rivers. The dual emergency in the Limpopo region has sparked a heated dispute between local municipal leadership and community activists over the management of vital water infrastructure and environmental rehabilitation projects.
Community members report that independent laboratory tests commissioned locally have detected asbestos in water samples drawn from the Mohlapitsi and Ngwaname rivers. The contamination reportedly stems from the aftermath of an old asbestos mine rehabilitation, raising severe public health concerns.
Kutullo Kokomane Mogaramedi, a community activist and spokesperson for the Thobejane Royal House, highlighted the dire health implications of the crisis. Mogaramedi stated that residents are being forced to rely on the contaminated river water because multiple municipal pumps have been out of commission for months. He claimed that the Minister of Health visited the community two months ago, testing 70% of the residents and confirming the presence of asbestos in the population, which he directly attributes to the municipality’s failure to provide a safe water system.
Infrastructure Breakdown and Vandalism
The contamination crisis is compounded by a severe lack of safe, running water. Mphofelle Nkumpi, the local councillor for Ngwaname village, explained that the current water shortage escalated on the 14th of the month when a critical borehole broke down. Although municipal operation and maintenance teams initially fixed the borehole, it malfunctioned again on the 16th.
Nkumpi noted that the situation is worsened by infrastructure vandalism. A contingency water pipeline meant to supply the community was damaged due to illegal connections. When the municipality attempted to engage the community regarding the vandalism, the efforts were unsuccessful.
To resolve the shortage, the municipality attempted to drill a new borehole in February to augment the broken one. However, Nkumpi claims the project was halted by the local traditional authority, who stopped the contractor and demanded the presence of senior personnel before allowing work to continue.
Clashing Narratives and Election Allegations
The ongoing infrastructure failures have led to a bitter public exchange between the councillor and the community activist, with both sides accusing the other of sabotage and political maneuvering ahead of the upcoming elections.
Nkumpi accused Mogaramedi, who is also a candidate for the GOP, of using the water shortage for “electioneering” to gather votes. The councillor alleged that Mogaramedi was the individual who chased away the contractor tasked with drilling the new borehole. Furthermore, Nkumpi claimed that Mogaramedi mobilized community members to vandalize a Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMR) site office last September, which ultimately caused the department to withdraw its asbestos rehabilitation project. Nkumpi also denied allegations that the municipality is outsourcing water tankers for profit, clarifying that the trucks are municipal assets deployed strictly during breakages.
Mogaramedi vehemently denied the councillor’s allegations. He stated that he did not chase away any contractors. According to Mogaramedi, the contractor initially arrived for a maintenance job expected to take less than five days but began discussing temporary local employment, which caused confusion. Mogaramedi claimed it was actually the councillor who was directing the hiring process, and the project simply fizzled out.
Addressing the asbestos rehabilitation claims, Mogaramedi countered that Nkumpi has been the councillor since 2006 and has overseen at least four failed asbestos rehabilitation budgets. He accused the councillor of deflecting blame and taking advantage of the community’s lack of water to profit from outsourced tanker services, calculating that the municipality spends upwards of R80,000 per tanker trip due to the vast distances involved.
Immediate Relief Efforts
Despite the political friction, immediate steps are being taken to alleviate the water shortage. Nkumpi confirmed that municipal tankers are being deployed over the weekend to supply water to the approximately 100 to 110 households affected by the breakdown. He noted that a specific mechanical fault with a top rod at a borehole in the Wan area is the current primary issue, and a contractor is scheduled to fix it by Monday.
As the community awaits the restoration of the boreholes and the resolution of the environmental hazards, residents maintain that their primary concern remains access to clean, reliable drinking water, urging local leaders to resolve their disputes and prioritize basic service delivery.
