Diana Mashaba a resident of Hamanskraal has to buy water for her household, the Gauteng department of health confirmed that the death toll in the cholera outbreak had risen to 15. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla) Hammanskraal
cholera outbreak
Discover the most recent updates, delve into in-depth analysis, and explore informative explainers on cholera, following a devastating outbreak in Tshwane.
Tshwane’s new mayor courts controversy and makes some progress in first three months on the job
Dr Nasiphi Moya is unapologetic about her stance that spaza shops must be locally owned, and will continue with operations to close foreign-owned spazas as Pretoria battles high unemployment.
Nonkululeko Njilo
21 January 2025
A plethora of political parties targets dysfunctional, disappointed Hammanskraal
In the wake of repeated service delivery disappointments from established political parties, some residents of ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba’s hometown of Hammanskraal are turning their attention to new political movements — while others regard them with suspicion.
Michelle Banda, Nonkululeko Njilo and Ray Mahlaka
22 May 2024
Promises, Promises, Promises – Hammanskraal residents despair of political solutions in killer water crisis
Unrestricted access to clean drinking water remains but a dream for Hammanskraal residents in the City of Tshwane nearly a year after the deaths of dozens of people in Gauteng from cholera, an illness linked to poor water quality.
Nonkululeko Njilo
26 April 2024
City of Tshwane seeks dismissal of officials charged in R295m Rooiwal tender scandal
A year-long internal disciplinary process has found the five officials guilty of one of the four charges they faced and recommended a sanction of suspension for one month without pay — a penalty the City of Tshwane believes is not harsh enough.
Tamsin Metelerkamp
21 April 2024
Joe Phaahla: Budget constraints to blame for unemployed medical graduates
Following a public outcry over the high number of unemployed doctors in the country, Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla said the department did not have the money to employ them, but that more posts would soon become available.
Takudzwa Pongweni
5 February 2024
Cholera case confirmed in Nelson Mandela Bay — sewage spill may be the cause
A case of cholera has been confirmed in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro and while the municipality insisted that the drinking water is safe, it said on Monday that the affected woman had been exposed to sewage from a large sewage spill in her yard.
Estelle Ellis
12 December 2023
Suspected case of cholera flagged in Nelson Mandela Bay
The Eastern Cape Health Department said it appeared to be an isolated case, but outbreak teams were conducting contact tracing as the woman had attended a funeral before falling ill.
Estelle Ellis
7 December 2023
‘No ongoing crisis,’ says City of Tshwane, even though Hammanskraal tap water still unfit for drinking
In the aftermath of the cholera outbreak in May centred on Hammanskraal that claimed more than 20 lives, there are lingering concerns about the quality of water supplied to the area by the City of Tshwane.
Michelle Banda
14 November 2023
Solly Msimanga sets his sights on premier candidacy after re-election as DA Gauteng leader
Now that he has been re-elected as the leader of the DA in Gauteng, Solly Msimanga is vying to become the party’s candidate for premier in the 2024 elections.
Queenin Masuabi
14 August 2023
Millions of litres of poo a day never even reach SA’s failing, underserviced sewage plants
A significant portion of our untreated sewage never even gets to our sewage plants. It goes straight into streams, rivers, dams, groundwater, and ultimately the ocean — untreated and unaccounted for.
David Still, Mark Graham and Nicholas B Pattinson
10 August 2023
Cholera — examining the horrific consequences of government’s own contaminated policy choices
Understanding the background to the neoliberal political economy that underpins government policy choices is a starting point for addressing the changes needed to reduce the excesses of our country’s poverty, unemployment and inequality. This Part Two of a two-part series.
Jeff Rudin
27 June 2023
Inside Joburg’s wastewater treatment works — the complex process of keeping drinking water safe
Against the backdrop of the cholera outbreak that has now left more than 30 people dead, Johannesburg Water invited the media to one of the entity’s best-functioning sewerage works. But one working sewerage works is a drop in the river when 40% of SA’s wastewater treatment works are woefully inadequate.
Julia Evans
26 June 2023
Cholera — have we really learnt nothing from Covid-19?
The first of two articles examining water-related health crises in South Africa asks why we have learnt nothing from previous crises and why our government, having responded to each new crisis with the same or similar pledges arising out of previous crises, ignores the pledges once each event is over. This is Part One of a two-part series.
Jeff Rudin
26 June 2023
Cholera outbreak and death toll under control due to swift action, claims Health Department
Although ‘we are not out of the woods yet’, the Department of Health is pleased with a decline in cholera cases despite the ongoing water and sanitation crisis.
Naledi Sikhakhane
26 June 2023
Hammanskraal communities volunteer to pick up the (litter) pieces and clean the rivers
On Monday, 26 June Hammanskraal residents will be taking a solution to the sewage and unsafe water crisis into their own hands by mobilising about 500 local volunteers and residents from nearby communities like Atteridgeville to clean up areas plagued by illegal dumpsters.
Mia Lindeque
25 June 2023
Trouble with a capital T – Jacaranda City municipality is wilting under bad finances and scandal
In the Auditor-General’s polite language, doubt exists about the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality continuing as ‘a going concern’. These financial alarm bells are being sounded amid a merry-go round of mayors in a core metro in the country, a metro that has also racked up a debt of almost R2-billion to Eskom. But residents are not watching idly – some are protesting in the streets for better services, and others like the Queenswood Residents Association, are putting the books under scrutiny.
Reg Rumney
20 June 2023
Boil-before-drinking notice remains for Makhanda’s contaminated water
A boil-before-drinking notice for Makhanda and surrounding towns’ water will remain in place after the Makana Local Municipality admitted that there was widespread E. coli contamination. This will require an extensive clean-up, especially as the working theory is that the town’s drinking water was being contaminated by polluted groundwater.
Estelle Ellis
12 June 2023
‘We have failed you, the people of Hammanskraal,’ says Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa said various spheres of government would work together to resolve the Hammanskraal water crisis, but it’s unclear where the money will come from.
Nonkululeko Njilo
8 June 2023
Food Safety Day reflection — SA grapples with food-borne disease, cholera and poor service delivery
South Africa is food insecure and prone to food-borne disease outbreaks, with the most notable being the 2017-18 listeriosis outbreak. Studies show investigations of outbreaks are poor and so are preventative measures by the food industry, government, and citizens.
Naledi Sikhakhane
8 June 2023
Nelson Mandela Bay uses innovative technology to detect a potential cholera outbreak
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality has introduced mapping technology coupled with wastewater surveillance to detect signs of a potential cholera outbreak as early as possible.
Estelle Ellis
8 June 2023
Top SA scientists present action plan to fight nationwide cholera outbreak
The Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies says the loss of lives to cholera in Hammanskraal is symptomatic of a widening collapse of water treatment facilities that could precipitate multiple health and environmental emergencies.
Tony Carnie
7 June 2023
If you value the work our journalists do and want to support Daily Maverick, consider becoming a Maverick Insider.