A resident of Ekangala township, in the eastern part of the City of Tshwane, has accused the municipality of putting lives at risk by failing to warn residents that their drinking water was contaminated, saying she felt “like they wanted to kill us”.
Katlego Palesa Mojafi, from Section F of Ekangala, said she fell ill after consuming the contaminated water and had to seek medical attention twice.
“I feel like they did it on purpose. How do you let people consume what they are not supposed to consume?
"To me, I feel like they wanted to kill us somehow because you cannot let people drink the water that they are not supposed to take,” she told IOL.
Her concerns come after 408 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported between October 7 and 18 in Zithobeni, Bronkhorstspruit, Dark City, Rethabiseng and Sokhulumi in Tshwane’s Region 7, according to a joint government statement.
Most of those affected were children under the age of four.
The outbreak has left residents fearful for their health and struggling to access sufficient clean water, with some saying they cannot afford to buy bottled water for their daily needs.
‘I have been to the clinic twice’
Mojafi said she began experiencing stomach cramps about two weeks ago and had since sought medical attention twice.
“I'd say two weeks back, because I've been to the clinic two times now,” she said.
She initially visited the Dark City community health clinic, where she said she received an injection and was given advice about avoiding tap water.
However, according to her, the facility was experiencing a shortage of medication because many people had been affected by the outbreak.
“I got an injection and then I was fine. And then, yeah, I was told that I must not consume water from the tap,” she said.
Mojafi said she later experienced further symptoms, including stomach cramps, and visited the Ekangala clinic for a check-up this week on Tuesday.
She also reported symptoms she believed were consistent with a urinary tract infection, although it has not been established whether this was linked to the contaminated water.
Mojafi said she was the only member of her household who had initially fallen ill, but her grandmother was also unwell at the time of the interview.
‘We cannot afford to buy so much water’
Mojafi, who is unemployed and lives in a household of seven where no one has a job, said buying water had placed a significant financial strain on her family.
“It's straining because we are a family of seven. So, yeah, it's a lot because 10 litres does not last us eight days,” she said.
She said the household had resorted to buying bottled water for drinking but continued using tap water for cooking because they could not afford to purchase enough clean water for all their needs.
Mojafi said the city’s warning against using the affected water for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing had left her family struggling to manage everyday activities.
“We only buy water for drinking,” she said.
“It's even worse when they are saying we are not even supposed to bathe with that water, to cook with that water. Like, we cannot afford to buy so much water.”
She said residents had also been warned against boiling the water for domestic use.
“Even if we boil the water, it's still dirty,” she said, adding that the city had indicated that boiling would not make the affected water safe to use.
Water tankers ‘are not enough’
Mojafi said the water tankers deployed to affected communities were not meeting residents’ needs, particularly those who were elderly, ill or unable to travel long distances.
She said tankers did not always stop near their homes and that residents sometimes had to wait several days for deliveries to reach their sections.
“I can say it has a negative impact because now there are water tankers, but then we are not even able to go there to collect water from the water tankers because they are not coming from street to street,” she said.
She added that her grandmother was too old to walk long distances to collect water, while younger family members were at school during the day.
Mojafi said her own health problems also made it difficult for her to collect water.
“So, I have to consume that water whether I like it or not…I still have to use that water,” she said.
According to Mojafi, the tankers sometimes visited the area only twice a week, leaving residents to wait for their allocated deliveries.
She said she continued to fear for her safety despite being aware of the warnings against using the water.
“I am scared. But, like I said, there's actually nothing I can do. Water is a need. We need water every day, on a daily basis. I cannot go a day without bathing. I cannot go a day without cooking.
“So, as I'm not able to afford to buy water, I'm forced to use that dirty water,” she said.
Residents lose trust in the city
Mojafi said the water crisis had eroded her trust in the City of Tshwane, adding that she believed the problem had been affecting residents for months.
“I can say that I do not have any trust for them because this issue of this dirty water, it's been going on for like four months. It's not something that has just started yesterday.
“I think they don't care about us. That's all I can say,” she said.
She called for those responsible for ensuring the safety of the water supply to be held accountable.
“I'd say it's a matter of time that those who are working at the water plants, especially the ones that are supposed to be ensuring that the water is safe, yes, they are the ones who must be held accountable for this water crisis,” she said.
Mother says child suffered diarrhoea
Another resident, Portia Nkosi, from Section I of Ekangala, said her family was also living in fear following the outbreak.
“We are very much scared because the illness sounds so serious and painful. It can even cause death if your immune system is weak,” she said.
Nkosi said residents had not been informed about the potential danger in time and that she had learnt about the crisis through social media.
“No, we were not informed on time and I had to find out from Facebook,” she told IOL.
She also criticised the water tanker arrangements, saying residents had to walk long distances to collect water and often struggled to carry it home.
“It's not enough because we have to walk a distance for us to reach the water tanks. How are we supposed to do our laundry? I won't be able to carry even two baskets. I have to walk just to get one basket because I don't have a wheelbarrow, so for me it's not enough,” she said.
Nkosi added that the timing of deliveries was another concern, as some residents were not at home during the day.
She said the shortage of clean water had forced her family to ration the little water they managed to obtain.
“It has affected my daily life so badly that we only use a small amount of water to bathe to save the little that we have,” she said.
Nkosi, who lives with her two children, said one of them had experienced diarrhoea.
“Yes, we did experience diarrhoea, and my first son then had to buy something to drink from the pharmacy. I forgot the name because I didn't know it was because of water. I thought it was something we ate at home,” she said.
She added that the household’s financial circumstances made it difficult to seek medical attention while also paying for clean water.
“Since we can't afford to buy water, it means it's even harder to go to the doctor, so can they please provide us with clean water,” she said.
Moya orders investigation into water contamination
The residents’ concerns come as Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya has ordered an investigation into the failures that left communities exposed to potentially unsafe drinking water.
The mayor has pledged disciplinary action against officials found to have been negligent as political pressure mounts on the city over the outbreak.
The investigation will examine how the interruption of chlorine supplies at the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works occurred, why residents were not warned that their water was unsafe and whether procurement, operational or management failures contributed to the crisis.
Moya said the city’s chief operations officer had been tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, including whether officials had failed to escalate the problem or communicate the risks to residents.
“The investigation must establish accountability and recommend corrective action,” she said.
“Where negligence or misconduct is identified, the city will act decisively in accordance with the applicable disciplinary processes.”
Moya said she had accepted political responsibility for the city’s response but stressed that administrative accountability was also necessary.
“As Executive Mayor, I have accepted political responsibility for the city’s response to this crisis. However, political accountability must be accompanied by administrative accountability, particularly where residents’ health and safety are concerned,” she said.
Public Protector investigates Tshwane over Bronkhorstspruit water crisis
The Public Protector of South Africa has simce launched an investigation into the City of Tshwane over allegations that it failed to chlorinate water.
The investigation follows complaints lodged on Wednesday by Economic Freedom Fighters(EFF) treasurer-general and Member of Parliament Omphile Maotwe, and Freedom Front Plus regional leader Willie Spies.
City deploys additional water tankers
Moya said 35 water tankers were operating in the affected areas: seven municipal tankers and 28 supplied by a service provider. Another tanker was expected to bring the total to 36.
Safe water is being sourced from Cullinan Water Treatment Works, with deliveries prioritised for healthcare facilities and schools.
The city said it was also working with Rand Water technical teams on maintenance and interventions at the Bronkhorstspruit treatment works.
Flushing and disinfection of the affected distribution network were due to begin, alongside daily water quality monitoring by the city, the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Water Research Commission (WRC).
The WRC is conducting independent testing and investigating the causes of the contamination, with its report expected by October 28.
Moya said further work was needed before safe drinking water could be restored through the affected network. Residents would be informed if a temporary shutdown was required to install equipment.
E. coli detected in water samples
The Department of Water and Sanitation found very high levels of E. coli in water samples collected from the treatment works and reservoirs supplying Ekandustria and Zithobeni.
No deaths had been reported at the time of the statement.
The department linked the contamination to water supplied without chlorination between September 24 and October 14. The treatment works had continued operating despite problems with its chlorine supplier.
The plant draws water from the Bronkhorstspruit River, which is affected by sewage pollution from dysfunctional wastewater treatment works under Victor Khanye Municipality and dysfunctional sewage pump stations in Tshwane.
The city closed the treatment works on October 14. Although chlorine supplies were restored and the plant resumed supplying the distribution system on October 16, authorities had yet to declare the affected water safe for household use.
Residents have been instructed to use tap water only to flush toilets and not for drinking, cooking, bathing or other domestic purposes.
IOL sent questions to the city about the outbreak and residents’ concerns. Although the city acknowledged the inquiry and indicated that it would respond, no answers had been received at the time of publication.
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
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