- City of Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya hit back at former mayor Cilliers Brink over his statements on the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis
- Moya disputed Brink's claims about cholera and challenged his figures on the city's water tanker spending during the 2024/25 financial year
- Disciplinary action is under way following the chlorine supply failure at the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant that triggered the crisis
Source: Getty Images
TSHWANE — City of Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya has publicly challenged former mayor Cilliers Brink, accusing him of spreading misinformation about the ongoing water and public health crisis in Bronkhorstspruit.
In a statement issued on Monday, 19 October 2026, Moya said she was deeply disappointed by what she characterised as deliberate attempts to exploit the emergency for political gain. She specifically criticised Brink for suggesting that the gastrointestinal illness outbreak could be linked to cholera and for questioning the city's spending on water infrastructure.
The crisis unfolded after the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant ran out of chlorine, prompting widespread concern about water safety. A total of 408 gastrointestinal illness cases have been reported in Tshwane's Region Seven, with the majority involving children under the age of four. No deaths have been recorded.
Cholera claims disputed
Moya acknowledged that a variant of Vibrio cholerae had been detected in water samples, but stated clearly that the variant was not associated with epidemic cholera. She added that no cholera bacteria had been found in any patient stool samples tested to date, arguing that Brink had disregarded this scientific evidence and misled the public by implying a confirmed cholera outbreak.
Moya defends Tshwane's spending on water infrastructure
The mayor also pushed back against Brink's criticism of municipal investment in the treatment works. She said actual expenditure on the plant's refurbishment reached approximately R20.8 million in the 2025/26 financial year, with R57 million approved for 2026/27 and a further R30 million planned for 2027/28.
On the question of water tanker spending, Moya rejected Brink's claim that the current administration spent R777 million during the 2024/25 financial year. She said the figure included roughly R156 million in cancelled, duplicated or unprocessed transactions, and that actual expenditure for services rendered was closer to R441 million. Of that amount, approximately R99 million was incurred before the current administration took office, and the city inherited around R180 million in unpaid invoices from the previous financial year.
Moya says discilinary ction is underway
Regarding the chlorine failure, Moya described it as negligence and confirmed that disciplinary proceedings were under way after senior city leadership was not informed of the supply shortage in time.
The mayor said the city was working alongside national and provincial departments, the Department of Water and Sanitation and independent technical experts to resolve the situation, and called on political leaders to prioritise accurate information over campaign tactics.
Health official launch inquiry into the illness outbreak
Briefly News also reported that health authorities in the City of Tshwane have launched an inquiry into an estimated 140 to 160 cases of stomach illness in Bronkhorstspruit. Officials confirm that no deaths have been linked to the outbreak. Various media outlets reported that hospital admissions spiked between 7 and 12 October 2026. A significant portion of affected individuals sought treatment at Bronkhorstspruit Hospital, with others admitted to Mamelodi Hospital, Wilgers Hospital, and Steve Biko Academic Hospital.
Source: Briefly News