By Slindile Mtshali
On May 22, 2023, the Tshwane Municipality issued a call to communities in Hammanskraal and the surrounding areas to avoid consuming tap water due to a cholera outbreak in the region.
According to a statement distributed through various news platforms, the municipality of Hammanskraal has confirmed that the tap water supplied is not safe for consumption. However, the city provides potable water to informal settlements through fifty-two water trucks, delivering three times a week, and forty water trucks daily in the second region.
The city regularly tests the quality of the water it supplies to the community. In light of the outbreak, extensive testing will be conducted throughout the distribution network, as stated by the Tshwane spokesperson.
The Tshwane Municipality urges residents in the affected areas to clean containers used for collecting water from water trucks with Jik detergent and to boil water from alternative sources before consumption. Recent data from the branch indicates a significant increase in cholera cases, totaling twenty-one instances in Gauteng.
Symptoms of cholera include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting. A community member expressed the need for the Department of Health to visit affected areas and provide education about cholera since not everyone is aware of this disease.
