Majodina says tests show no cholera in Tshwane patients

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina says tests conducted on patients infected with a gastrointestinal illness in the City of Tshwane found no traces of cholera.

She says, however, high levels of E.coli have been found in the water emanating from the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant, which was not chlorinated between the 24th of September and the 14th of this month.

This as over 400 cases of gastrointestinal illnesses have been reported in Tshwane’s Region 7 since the beginning of October.

Majodina says a response team has been established to conduct additional tests and investigations into the matter.

“Laboratory test results from stool specimens from infected patients by the NICD coupled with the tests of water emanating from the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works, indicated that illness has been caused by residents being exposed to contaminated water from this water treatment plant.

No cholera bacteria were found in the sampled stools,” says Majodina.

Affected communities include Zithobeni, Bronkhorstspruit, Dark City, Rethabiseng and Sokhulumi, which are largely supplied by the City of Tshwane’s Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works.

Residents in Bronkhorstspruit have been urged not to use tap water for drinking or cooking, due to a water quality and public health crisis.

Tshwane Executive Mayor Nasiphi Moya warned that tap water does not meet drinking standards and has advised communities not to use it for purposes other than flushing toilets, while water tankers continue supplying affected areas.

Moya noted that the situation is reminiscent of last year’s typhoid outbreak in Hammanskraal, which required cooperation between different government departments.

The mayor further highlighted that water delivered by tankers is routinely tested to ensure it’s safe for drinking.

“ We had a similar situation last year in H amanskraal when we were dealing with typhoid cases, and we tried as much as possible, working with different spheres of government and different departments, to make sure that the situation doesn’t get worse.

The investment has been made in terms of what needs to happen, because, as the minister was saying, the source is in the water … t here’s no going about it.

We need to resolve the issue of clean water in B ronkhorstspruit,” says Moya.