As the City of Tshwane coalition government lurches from serious crisis to more serious crisis, the apparent ourbreak of Typhoid in the city must be carefully managed to avoid tragedy.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is alarmed by a surge of cases in typhoid in Hammanskraal, a community in the Tshwane Metro that has not had potable water for many years.
In the past few months, the DA has consistently drawn attention to the stalling of the project to supply Hammanskraal residents with water supplied by Magalies Water and to eliminate the reliance on expensive and exploitative water tankers.
In January, Tshwane launched the first of four phases of the project, but when I visited Hammanskraal a few weeks ago residents who were meant to have clean water in their taps had no water at all.
While Magalies Water and the Department of Water and Sanitation have been candid about the issues holding back the project, Mayor Nasiphi Moya has virtually stopped communicating with Hammanskraal residents.
Although water is not the only source of typhoid, it is certainly at the top of the list of causes that have to be eliminated. We therefore call on the City to act quickly to contain the situation.
This must include the release of routine tests taken by the Tshwane department of water and sanitation on the Rooiwal/Apies River/Leeuwkraal water system. These tests act as an early warning system. The city must also give the assurance that water tankers that supply the Hammanskraal area have maintained hygiene and supply controls implemented during the outbreak of cholera in 2023.