Probe shows water is cholera-free, says Tshwane in search for source of Hammanskraal outbreak

Deputy minister of water and sanitation David Mahlobo says a formal investigation will be undertaken to determine what caused the deadly water contamination in Hammanskraal.

Mahlobo on Monday said the investigations would also establish whether there was negligence by an individual or institution.

“A team of experts has already been established. They are led by two DGs in the department of water and sanitation, and those DGs are engineers. They know the business of water, and they will be able to look at all the sources that this City of Tshwane is able to get water in,” he said.

Mahlobo was speaking during his visit to Jubilee District Hospital on Monday, which is treating scores diagnosed with cholera.

At least 15 people have died from the bacterial disease. 

Outlining their intervention, Mahlobo said they had agreed to create a command centre to make their response immediate and effective.

“The command centre is going to be at two levels — it’s going to be both at a political level but will also be at a level that is technical.

"At a political level, it will be led by the department of health. The ministry of water will be part of the team, and the ministry and the provincial department of social development would be here. We will also have the City of Tshwane, where these issues are happening, led by the mayor and the MECs,” he said.

Mahlobo said they would also bring in police and the department of defence to handle the issues at hand.

“At a technical level, we have established multidisciplinary teams. They are all reporting to the director-general of the department of health, Dr Buthelezi, and we have decided that there are going to be different streams that are hard at work attending to the issues,” Mahlobo said.

He said there would be a team taking care of scanning and mobility to contain the bacteria.

Mahlobo said while investigations continue, water had to be provided to affected communities, including the schools and hospital. 

“We have been assured by the leadership of Tshwane that there is sufficient trucking that will happen in terms of this particular issue of water, and we will follow through ensuring ... that there is a clear schedule and that the quality is good. We have also agreed that we will run some tests, and they will be run with reputable institutions,” he said.

Meanwhile, the City of Tshwane said its testing on multiple sites had detected zero cholera from piped water supply.

Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the city received the results from samples taken in multiple sites around Temba and Hammanskraal.

“Multiple reservoirs, fire hydrants, primary schools, clinics and other locations that receive water from the Temba Water Treatment Plant were tested. All of these tests have conclusively indicated that there are no microbiological contaminants that point to E coli or Faecal Coliforms that can be linked to the cholera outbreak,” he said.

Bokaba said this means the water being distributed through the city’s bulk water distribution network in the area does not have cholera in it.

However, he said that did not make the water safe to drink, as it was treated heavily with chlorine.

“Various points where water tankers draw their supply have also been tested. The city has widened the scope of its testing and has been interviewing various patients to assisting tracing the source of the contamination,” he said.

The city said it would keep residents updated on further test results as and when they become available.

“It is critically important that residents who have symptoms present themselves early at the nearest clinic or hospital to be treated. Please do not wait until you feel worse. We urge all residents in the area to take extra precaution with good hygiene practices,” Bokaba said.

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