Cape Town - The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says that its provincial office undertook a monitoring visit to Hammanskraal, including to Jubilee Hospital, on Tuesday, to meet with those affected and monitor temporary measures put in place to arrest the cholera outbreak.
The commission said it would further engage the City of Tshwane (CoT) and the Provincial Department of Health authorities on measures being implemented to urgently identify the source of the cholera outbreak.
According to reports, 16 people have so far died as a result of contracting cholera in the area and at least 95 people are reported to have sought treatment for the diarrhoeal disease in Hammanskraal.
“Following the news of the outbreak, the commission immediately has engaged both the CoT as well as the Provincial Department of Health to seek a full update on measures being put in place to immediately arrest the outbreak, save lives from this disease and to avoid a large-scale and devastating impact of this disease.
“The commission acknowledges the temporary measures already implemented by both the CoT and the Provincial Department of Health who have warned people in the area not to drink water from the taps, made arrangements for the provision of water tankers, called on and urged people to practice clean hygiene, and facilitated the provision of two additional wards at the local hospital to accommodate patients who could not be immediately admitted on arrival at Jubilee Hospital,” the SAHRC said.
The commission, however, said that the cholera outbreak was not the only water-related disease or crisis facing the community of Hammanskraal.
In 2018, the community members complained to the commission that they had been receiving dirty and foul-smelling water from their taps, and alleged that the water had been contaminated and polluted due to the malfunctioning of the wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) of the CoT.
“Following inspections, the commission instituted a formal investigation and released a report of the Gauteng Provincial Inquiry into the Sewage Pollution of the City of Tshwane’s Rivers and the Roodeplaat Dam which found that the primary reason for the unacceptable levels of pollution is the failure to manage and maintain existing WWTWs in the CoT over a prolonged period of time.
“Despite the findings and key recommendations of the investigative report, the community of Hammanskraal continues to lack access to drinkable water. Now with the emergence of the cholera outbreak, the community is faced with a double threat as they are not able to practice hygiene at their convenience.”
Cape Times