Provisioning of Water as a Means of Enhancing the Socio-Economic Development of Citizens in the Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality, Limpopo Province

Water is the key ingredient for the successful socio-economic development of a society. Sustainable provisioning of water to citizens and its preservation are important functions for a government. The Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality has a backlog estimated at 14,501 households still to be supplied with uninterrupted potable water. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the provisioning of water as a means of enhancing the socio-economic development of citizens in the Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. This study was conducted at Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality in Limpopo Province. The study used mixed methods to collect data. The study revealed that although the municipality is doing all it can, challenges exist in water provisioning because of infrastructure and a lack of relevant skills to maintain water networks. The municipality is marred by illegal connections for which no payment is collected. The municipality has enough water resources, but they are not utilised to the benefit of the citizens. This study suggests that the municipality consider re-visiting issues such as increasing community engagement in water projects, skills training and development, and feedback mechanisms as part of accountability and the scope of providing water through advanced technology such as water treatment for human consumption.