Nearly Three Decades Into Democracy, Pugani Residents Still Share Water With Wildlife
Almost 30 years into South Africa’s democracy, residents of Pugani village in the Malamule area continue to struggle for one of the most basic human necessities: clean water.
In the absence of a functioning water system, many families are forced to rely on a natural fountain that they share with wild animals.
What was once meant to be a temporary survival measure has now become a daily routine shaped by uncertainty and risk.
For years, taps in the area have remained dry.
According to residents, the last time running water flowed consistently through their pipes was in 2019.
Since then, the community has been left to fend for itself.
Some residents say the real hardship intensified around 2020, when clean water became virtually inaccessible.
Today, the only reliable source is a small fountain dug out by the community after heavy rains and floods.
The water, often milky in appearance, is used for drinking, cooking, and washing.
Despite concerns about contamination, it remains the only option for survival.
Residents describe long hours spent waiting their turn at the fountain.
As the source becomes depleted throughout the day, people must take shifts — some arriving during daylight, others in the middle of the night — to ensure their families have enough water for basic needs.
The process is exhausting and unpredictable.
One resident explained the daily reality.
“The water that we drink from this fountain is not safe because when we leave at night, wild animals also come to drink.
When I left last night, the water was clean.
But when I arrived in the morning, I found it dirty and had to wait for the dirt to subside.
”
The shared use of the water source with wildlife has heightened fears about health risks.
The possibility of contamination from animals, especially overnight, leaves families anxious about potential illness.
Yet, with no alternative supply, the community has little choice.
“We fetched water at this fountain because we do not have water.
We’ve been struggling since 2020 without clean water.
After the rains and floods, we decided to dig up this fountain so that we can at least get water to drink and cook to survive.
We survive on fountain water here in Pugani,” another resident said.
The crisis extends beyond Pugani.
Neighboring communities, including Green Farm, Gumongu, and Tav villages, face similar challenges.
In each of these areas, aging water systems and broken infrastructure have left residents dependent on unsafe sources.
Members of the local water committee say they have repeatedly approached authorities for assistance, but their efforts have produced little progress.
They claim there is no office they have not visited in search of a solution.
“There is no office where we didn’t even go.
But there is no answer.
There is nothing,” a committee representative said.
“They just come here and promise us a borehole, but they have never done anything.
”
According to the committee, previous engagements included communication with municipal officials and even attempts to contact the executive mayor.
Residents say they were promised a borehole two years ago, but the project has yet to materialize.
The water authority, the Vhembe District Municipality, has cited budgetary constraints as the primary reason for the delay.
Officials say they are operating under what they describe as an unfunded budget, limiting their ability to implement immediate infrastructure projects.
“We do have a challenge because we are operating under an unfunded budget,” a representative said.
“But during the 2026–2027 financial year, we are working on a budget to drill a borehole at Pugwani village under the Makhado local municipality.
”
In addition to funding limitations, the municipality has pointed to illegal water connections as part of the broader challenge affecting supply across the district.
Authorities say there is an ongoing program to remove illegal connections in collaboration with local communities.
However, for residents waiting at the fountain each day, long-term plans offer little comfort.
The promise of future funding does not address immediate needs.
The absence of clean, running water continues to shape daily life in ways that are both physically demanding and emotionally draining.
The physical evidence of neglect is visible throughout the area.
Aging water infrastructure — including reservoirs and pipelines — still stands, a reminder of a system that once functioned reliably.
Today, these structures are largely unused, deteriorating under the weight of time and lack of maintenance.
The crumbling infrastructure symbolizes a deeper systemic problem: insufficient investment in maintenance and upgrades.
Experts often point out that water systems require continuous monitoring and repair to remain functional.
Without regular upkeep, even well-built networks eventually fail.
For communities like Pugani, the consequences are stark.
Access to clean water is not only a matter of convenience but of health and dignity.
When families must share water sources with animals and wait for sediment to settle before filling containers, the basic promise of service delivery feels distant.
The situation also raises broader questions about inequality in rural areas.
While urban centers often receive priority in infrastructure investment, rural communities frequently experience delays and resource shortages.
The result is a widening gap in access to essential services.
Residents in Pugani say their greatest fear is the impact on health, particularly for children and elderly people.
Drinking untreated water exposes them to potential waterborne diseases.
Without proper testing and purification, contamination remains a constant risk.
Despite frustration, many community members continue to advocate for solutions.
The local water committee remains active, engaging with officials and urging authorities to honor previous commitments.
Their request is straightforward: restore reliable access to clean water.
Municipal authorities insist that plans are underway, but timelines remain uncertain.
The proposed borehole project for the 2026–2027 financial year offers hope, yet it also underscores how long the community has already waited.
Nearly three decades after the advent of democracy, Pugani’s water crisis serves as a reminder that political transformation does not automatically translate into consistent service delivery.
For residents, the promise of equality must include access to basic infrastructure.
Until repairs are made and investment flows into maintenance and new drilling projects, the fountain will remain the center of daily life.
Families will continue to queue, sometimes in darkness, for water that is far from guaranteed safe.
The aging reservoirs and pipelines scattered across the village stand as silent witnesses to a system that once worked.
Their deterioration highlights the urgent need for renewed attention, funding, and accountability.
For now, Pugani survives — not because of reliable infrastructure, but because of resilience.
Yet resilience alone cannot replace clean, safe water.
That requires sustained commitment and tangible action.
