Zainul Dawood|Published
Deputy President Paul Mashatile is visiting the City of Tshwane on Monday, after 408 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported in the Bronkhorstspruit area.
This follows the City of Tshwane lifting a boil-water advisory for Pretoria’s central business district after laboratory tests confirmed the water was safe to drink. The developments follow the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis, which saw hundreds of cases of gastrointestinal illness reported between October 7 and 18. The development has raised serious concerns about the safety of the water supply and the potential health risks to communities.
Mashatile is part of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Water and Sanitation, which is co-ordinating government interventions to address water and sanitation challenges, strengthen accountability and accelerate responses to service delivery concerns affecting communities.
He is expected to visit the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works (BWTW) to assess the situation, receive an update on the condition of the water treatment infrastructure and engage with relevant authorities on the measures being implemented to restore the safety and reliability of the water supply.
No detectable E. coli
Mashatile intends to visit hospitalised patients following reports of gastrointestinal illness associated with the consumption of contaminated water.
Tshwane Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya confirmed that the advisory affecting areas supplied through Findlay Reservoir had been lifted after microbiological tests found no detectable E. coli or total coliform bacteria. The contamination was identified in groundwater supplied by the Fountains springs. The city isolated the affected source and switched the Pretoria CBD and surrounding areas to an alternative supply from Salvokop Reservoir.
Technical teams subsequently cleaned Findlay Reservoir, applied chlorine shock treatment to the distribution network and conducted further water-quality testing before lifting the advisory.
Human rights commission
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said it had an ongoing investigation into the water-related complaints dating back to May 2026. The inquiry sought to understand the causes of persistent water supply interruptions, concerns regarding water quality, the adequacy of water infrastructure and treatment systems, and the measures taken by responsible authorities to ensure the provision of safe and sufficient water.
The commission said the City of Tshwane had participated in the inquiry, during which the commission engaged the municipality extensively on concerns relating to the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works, including issues affecting its operations and its ability to ensure the delivery of safe water to affected communities.
“Although the outcome of the inquiry has not yet been released, it is concerning to learn that the situation remains unresolved. The continued reports of contaminated water and the resulting health concerns are deeply troubling and require urgent, decisive action,” the commission said.
Bronkhorstspruit water crisis
On October 21, the commission conducted an oversight visit to Bronkhorstspruit, which included a visit to the treatment works. The commission convened a multi-stakeholder engagement on October 23 with the National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), National Department of Health (DoH), Rand Water and the City of Tshwane to address the ongoing water crisis in Bronkhorstspruit, clarify the steps taken to date, and identify urgent and sustainable measures to ensure that affected communities have access to safe and sufficient water.
“The commission is finalising its investigation and the release of its report on the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis, setting out its findings and recommendations. The City of Tshwane must also communicate transparently and consistently with the affected communities about the risks, the measures being implemented, and the steps being taken to prevent a recurrence,” the commission said.
zainul.dawood@iol.co.za
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