Outrage Mamphokgo Villagers protest over extreme water shortages

MAMPHOKGO – Scores of communities from Mamphokgo Village in Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality (EPMLM) Ward 10, have brought the area to a standstill on Monday 9 March 2026, protesting over crippling water shortages.

The demonstration turned violent, with barricades set up on main roads and tires burning in a desperate bid to draw attention from authorities to address the crippling water shortage that has plagued their village for over a decade.

According to residents, the protest, which began in the early hours, was sparked by alleged comments made by Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM) Executive Mayor, Cllr Minah Bahula, who reportedly claimed on national radio interview that there was no water shortage in the district.

Mamphokgo residents, who claim they have been struggling to access water since 2011, felt betrayed by the statement, which they say shows a staggering lack of understanding of their reality.

“We have been lied to for years. We have infrastructure, but there’s no water flowing through the pipes. We’re forced to buy water from private borehole owners at exorbitant prices just to survive. It’s unacceptable,” said Mike Mampana, a community leader.

He added that the situation in Mamphokgo is dire, with residents having to rely on expensive private water suppliers to meet their basic needs.

“The community has repeatedly engaged with the municipality, submitting petitions, attending meetings, and sending delegations to discuss the issue, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” he said.

The protest was eventually suspended after SDM MMC for Infrastructure Corpas Ngobeni arrived on the scene, promising to resolve the issue within seven days. Ngobeni, accompanied by officials from Lepelle Northern Water, pledged to work around the clock to restore water supply to the village.

According to SDM Spokesperson, Lemson Moropjane, the disruption in water supply is due to a pipeline undergoing repairs, which became stuck in a nearby local river and required an excavation machine to retrieve and position it properly for the repair work.

“The municipality has installed six boreholes in the community as a temporary measure while pursuing a permanent solution,” he said.

Moropjane added that a dedicated task team, led by the MMC for Infrastructure, Water and Sanitation Cllr Carpos Ngobeni, has been established to closely monitor the situation and ensure consistent water provision.

Residents have been warned that if the problem persists after seven days, they will regroup and plan further action.

Residents vowed to re-establish the protests if the municipality fails to fix the water problem in seven days.

“We are not going to stop protesting until our demands are met. We want water, and we want it now,” Mampana said.