Challenges in water supply systems and service delivery in the Mankweng Cluster : perspectives from households, ward councillors, and the Polokwane Municipality

<p dir="ltr">This study investigates the limitations of existing water supply systems in addressing water scarcity in the Mankweng Cluster of the Polokwane Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Despite the availability of centralised water infrastructure, such as dams, pipelines, taps, boreholes, and municipal water tankers, many rural communities in the cluster experience prolonged periods without access to water. The research highlights that inadequate maintenance, ageing infrastructure, illegal water connections, vandalism, population growth, and electricity disruptions caused by load-shedding are among the key factors exacerbating economic water scarcity in the area. Through a mixed-methods approach involving questionnaires distributed to 200 households across seven wards and interviews with municipal officials and ward councillors, the study found that most residents are forced to rely on unsafe water sources like rivers and ponds, thereby endangering public health. The findings also reveal that insufficient and inconsistent municipal water delivery services result in community dissatisfaction, protests, and damage to infrastructure. Based on these findings, the study recommends upgrading and expanding water supply infrastructure, particularly through the introduction of a Rotational-Monocrystalline Solar Panel System (RMSPS) to power boreholes, thus reducing reliance on electricity and diesel. It further advocates for stronger collaboration between residents, the municipality, and ward councillors to improve the resilience, sustainability, and community ownership of water systems, ensuring equitable and continuous water access for all.</p><p dir="ltr">This dataset forms part of a broader research project investigating the state of water supply systems and water service delivery in the Mankweng Cluster of the Polokwane Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The dataset is structured into three distinct Excel sheets, each capturing data from a different group of stakeholders using both quantitative and qualitative research methods.</p><p dir="ltr">Sheet 1: Household Questionnaire Data</p><p dir="ltr">This sheet contains quantitative data collected from 200 households across seven wards of the Mankweng Cluster, namely wards 06, 07, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 34. The data were obtained through structured questionnaires designed to assess the community’s experiences with the existing water supply systems. Variables include the type of water sources used (e.g., taps, boreholes, tankers), frequency and reliability of water access, duration of water outages, alternative sources used during shortages, and household perceptions of municipal water service delivery. The dataset captures demographic and spatial variation across wards, enabling ward-level comparisons on water accessibility and reliability.</p><p dir="ltr">Sheet 2: Municipal Officials’ Interview Data</p><p dir="ltr">This sheet contains qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews with key municipal officials responsible for water provision and infrastructure management within the Mankweng Cluster. The interviews focus on the institutional, technical, and logistical challenges affecting water supply in the Mankweng Cluster. Topics include infrastructure condition, funding and resource constraints, operational limitations, population pressure, and emergency response mechanisms (e.g., deployment of water tankers). The responses are thematically coded to facilitate content analysis and to understand institutional perspectives on the root causes of water scarcity in rural communities.</p><p dir="ltr">Sheet 3: Ward Councillors’ Interview Data</p><p dir="ltr">The third sheet includes data from interviews with ward councillors representing the seven wards in the Mankweng Cluster. This qualitative dataset explores local governance dynamics, councillors’ interactions with the municipality and community, service delivery complaints, and grassroots-level knowledge of water challenges in their respective wards. The councillors’ insights provide a critical link between the lived experiences of residents and the operational practices of the municipality, shedding light on political accountability and community engagement in water governance.</p>