Cholera outbreak: Heartbroken mom speaks out after losing son

As the cholera death toll rises and the causes remain unknown, families are trying to understand why their loved ones were taken before their time.

Yesterday, national health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said 22 people had died so far from the cholera outbreak and 78 patients had been admitted to hospital due to gastrointestinal infections.

“The number of patients that have been seen at the Jubilee district hospital as of 24 May, was at 179 and includes 18 patients transferred to Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital and Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Tshwane. The number of laboratory confirmed cases of cholera is standing at 29,” he said.

Cholera death

Dimakatso Semenya from Kanana in the North West said her three-year-old son, Tshimologo Reatlegile Semenya, had died after drinking water from the tap. On Sunday last week, he fell sick – and died hours later.

“My child’s eyes went white, his body went cold and I felt like he died in my arms,” she said. “I went to Jubilee hospital to casualty and waited for hours. I told the sister my child was getting worse and they told me to wait in the queue.”

Semenya said they admitted Tshimologo and put him on a drip.

“When they phoned me, I thought maybe he had some complications, but they told me my child was dead. I don’t understand; I am confused,” she said.

ALSO READ: Joburg Water confirms water safe for drinking amid cholera outbreak

Active

Semenya said the day before her son was active and playing with his friends.

“I feel lost without my son; I don’t know who I am without him. I was planning a future and then the water took him,” she said.

Semenya buried him in what she described as a small coffin on Friday last week. And the mother said she blamed whoever supplied the water.

“It was the tap water. My son was small [but] he could open a tap. How was he to know not to drink it?” she asked.

Shattered

Semenya said she couldn’t sleep at night.

“I miss him. He used to hug me and hold me. And he used to say I am his only one,” she said.

His grandmother, Nora Semenya, said her heart was shattered. Temba resident John Moloi said he didn’t have money to buy water.

“These water trucks. Sometimes they come and sometimes they don’t and then we have to go without water,” he said.

Moloi also fetched water from a borehole on a neighbour’s pavement to wash his clothes.

“Because I don’t have money to buy water to drink, I collect rainwater,” he said.

Water contamination

One of the biggest problems was not being able to boil water during load shedding. He said what was coming out of his taps had suddenly become clear, compared to last week.

Isaac Tsotetsi, who moved to Hammanskraal in December said it was a lovely area, except for the water problems.

“I was warned about the water,” he said. Tsotetsi said buying water to drink and cook with for a family of five was expensive.

“The cost of living is already very expensive. Now we have to buy water. Here, five litres of water costs about R6, but it adds up.”

He said he refused to bathe his children in the dirty water.

“Each person must consume at least two litre water a day – times five – plus more to cook with.”

Tsotetsi said his wife had shown him the cleaner-looking water suddenly running from the taps, but “I told her not to be fooled, it looks clean, but it’s not clean. I don’t trust it”

ALSO READ: Hammanskraal cholera outbreak: Death toll climbs to 17