Mabopane water safe to drink, says City of Tshwane after cholera scare

The City of Tshwane has refuted claims that potable water in Mabopane is allegedly of low quality.

This follows a voice note doing the rounds that claims the water is not clean and is causing sicknesses like cholera. In one of the audio clips, a woman is heard sharing her alleged experience.

“I almost died. The week the water was out, when it came back and used the water I got a running stomach for five days. I was vomiting, had a headache, I was sweating and I was dehydrated, I cannot say what saved me. I don’t drink water any more, I buy it, unless I am cooking,” said the woman.

The woman further alleged the water was not always clean, as one could sometimes spot particles and the water was black or brownish.

“We no longer drink tap water. It is causing sickness to a lot of people. Since I started drinking purified water I no longer get sick,” she said.

Another voice clip claims that people had been hospitalised due to the water.

City spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the information in the clip about the quality of water was patently false.

“The water supplied in Mabopane is from Rand Water’s Palmiet system. The system also serves many areas upstream such as Laudium, Atteridgeville, Thatchfield and many other areas in Centurion. The water is clear and good for human consumption,” he said.

This year over 40 people died in Hammanskraal after a cholera outbreak.

In June, the country recorded 1,045 suspected cases of cholera across five provinces, 197 of which were laboratory-confirmed.

Gauteng accounted for most of the cases at 89% with 176 reported from three districts. 

So far the source of the waterborne disease has not been determined.

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