Flood-hit Vhembe villages give an ultimatum to government

Due to the continuing heavy rains in Vhembe, Limpopo, the gravel road D3685 which connects over 20 rural villages, has been completely washed away, leaving villagers in isolation from the rest of the province and cut off from essential services.

The affected villages include Matavhela, Mufulwi, Gwangatini, Ngalavhani, Ha-Mabila, Helula, Guyuni, Dzumbama, Tshitandani, Tshaanda, Tshamulungwi, Mafhohoni, Mavhode, Fefe, Gogogo, and Tshixwadza. All these villages are situated just outside of Tshilamba and depend on the damaged road D3685 for their supplies from, and contact with, the wider world.

Living in isolation

Due to the current condition of the road, the villagers are unable to leave their homes to go to work, school, access health services, or to even go to the nearest towns, Tshilamba and Thohoyandou, to seek essentials.

According to local residents, they had been promised a tarred road almost two decades ago, but they continue to wait in vain while suffering hardship every time it rains in their area. Some of the bridges on the road D3685 were completely washed away due to the recent floods in Vhembe.

Fed-up residents have now issued a warning to the Thulamela Local Municipality and the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure that if they are not given a date by when their road woes will be addressed before Friday, 20 March 2026, they will take to the streets in protest.

Election boycott

They have also warned that should their challenges not be addressed immediately, they will not take part in the upcoming elections.

“We have suffered long enough, and we feel that enough is enough; something needs to be done immediately. Just imagine, every time it rains, we just know that the next day, we will not be able to leave our homes to go to work or school due to the condition of the road,” said Edwin Mavhungu, a resident of Tshixwadza village.

Mavhungu, who works as a driver at a furniture store in Thohoyandou, told Elitsha that he was a teenager when the villages were promised almost 20 years ago that the 35-kilometre gravel road D3685 would be tarred. Nothing has been done to tar the road despite the fact that it remains the sole lifeline for more than 20 villages.

Last week, a mass community meeting was held along the D3685 corridor, and a decision was taken by all the villages that if a promise they had been given two decades ago is not kept, they will take action against those in power.

Decades-old promise

“Many years ago, when I was just a little boy, we were told that the road would be tarred, but nothing has been done; they are even struggling to maintain the gravel road or to even re-gravel it, but we vote each time there are elections. But now it has come to an end; if they do not address our concerns, we will also not vote,” said Mavhungu.

The communities have rejected the call to remain patient by the provincial department of public works, , saying that patience has not given them access to healthcare, education, and livelihoods. “Without a road, we cannot do most things, such as going to work, school, or even to the hospital. Everything is just a mess, and no one in power is saying anything. Children have not been to school since last week due to the condition of the road,” said Pfariso Mudau from Gogogo village.

Most parts of Vhembe and Mopani have been negatively affected by floods. This is the second time that these districts have been hard-hit by floods this year, as they were also reported to have been flooded in January this year.

On Sunday evening, the provincial department of education suspended classes for a period of two days due to the floods. “The safety of learners and staff is a paramount concern. With reports of flooded roads and compromised building integrity, the suspension is a necessary measure to prevent any potential tragedies,” said Mike Maringa, the provincial spokesperson for education.

Schools remain closed in several villages

Maringa said that most learners are due to return to classes on Wednesday, with the exception of learners from Ngalavhani, Gogogo, and other villages due to the state of their roads.

“We just hope that we do not run out of food, as even the local spaza shops are slowly running dry as they are unable to restock due to the condition of the roads. The worst fear at the moment is for someone to get sick and need emergency medical services, as it will be impossible for them to get assistance, and they will be bound to die,” Felix Masindi, a resident of Ngalavhani.

Attempts to get comments from the Thulamela Local Municipality, and the Limpopo departments of health and public works failed.