The City of Tshwane's water supply has been ruled out in the recent typhoid outbreak. Image: The Citizen
The Ministry of Water and Sanitation has commended the City of Tshwane and partner agencies for their swift action in response to a typhoid fever outbreak that has seen 48 cases reported across the Hammanskraal, Bronkhorstspruit, and East of Pretoria areas since January 2025.
The departments spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa, said the applause follows a high-level meeting that took place on November 3, 2025, involving Minister Pemmy Majodina, Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Sello Seitlholo, Gauteng MEC Jacob Mamabolo, and Acting Executive Mayor Eugene Modise.
“They convened a meeting on Monday to receive reports from technical teams on the recently reported typhoid fever outbreak in Tshwane and efforts taken thus far to keep the outbreak under control.”
Preliminary Findings Clear Water Supply
Crucially, she said preliminary reports presented at the meeting confirm that water was not the source of the contamination.
“From the samples taken by the City of Tshwane in all its water supply and distribution systems including the systems of Magalies and Rand Water, as well as its boreholes and water tankers, no detection of Salmonella Typhi bacteria, which causes typhoid fever, has been recorded so far,” said Mavasa.
In addition, the Ministry welcomed Tshwane’s ongoing water quality tests and instructed the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to enlist the Water Research Commission (WRC) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for independent monitoring and testing to ensure public confidence.
Concerns Over Past Outbreak
However, despite the preliminary findings, the Ministry expressed concern that the typhoid incidents are occurring in communities that recently recovered from a cholera outbreak.
“The Ministry is concerned that the current incidents of typhoid are occurring in a community which has recently recovered from a cholera outbreak. Both cholera and typhoid can be spread through either through consuming contaminated water or through poor food handling and hygiene,” she said.
Moreover, the meeting specifically noted the erratic performance of the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works, which is currently operating at 38 megalitre per day (ML/d), well below its design capacity of 54 ML/d, due to its poor condition.
“The Ministry welcomes the City’s intervention plan to bring the water treatment works to operate at full design capacity and its future plans to upgrade the plant to increase its treatment capacity,” Mavasa said.
She further said, for areas still facing intermittent or no water supply, the DWS committed to closely monitor progress on key projects like the Klipdrift Package Plant in Hammanskraal, which is designed to alleviate supply challenges.
In the meantime, Tshwane will continue to use water tankering with a clear plan and monitoring mechanism.
Public Caution and Hygiene
In light of the ongoing health threat, the Ministry issued a strong reminder to the public:
- Avoid consuming raw water from rivers, dams, and streams, as this water is untreated and poses serious health risks.
- Adhere to strict hygiene protocols, including washing hands thoroughly with soap and water, and ensuring safe storage of water and handling of food.
About the Author
