Cholera outbreak: No answers from Tshwane on what happened to R292m tender

As the death toll of Hammanskraal residents killed by cholera climbed to 17 people, there are no answers from the city of Tshwane on what happened to the R292 million handed to businessman Edwin Sodi in 2019 to fix the Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant.

Mayor Cilliers Brink said they have to be “very honest and open about it”.

“It’s not just allegations, and it’s a forensic investigation that implicates several officials in the city,” he said.

ALSO READ: EFF demands mayor drink water from Hammanskraal as R450m allocated to Rooiwal upgrades

“That forensic report was served in this council last year, before I was elected mayor. The disciplinary steps against the officials in that report are underway.

“I have said the supply chain management system of this city is like a festering sore that infects the entire body of the city. If we are not open about that we are not going to solve the issue.

“It is horrifying that the cholera death toll stands at 17, which makes it all the more important to identify the source of the outbreak, because if we don’t do that, the situation cannot be contained,” said Brink.

Cholera outbreak death toll

Gauteng department of health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba yesterday said 165 patients were seen at the Jubilee District Hospital since the outbreak, of which 18 were transferred to other health facilities in Tshwane.

“The number of laboratory confirmed cases of cholera is standing at 29. To date, 17 people have died and 67 patients were admitted with a gastrointestinal infection,” he said.

ALSO READ: Hammanskraal water not cholera contaminated, but not safe to drink

Brink said the net of tests has been cast wider after it was discovered water from taps in the Themba system was not the source of contamination.

“We still have to find the source,” he said.

He said the crisis had drawn attention to the long-standing problem of the quality of water delivered to Hammanskraal.

“It cannot be ignored any longer. We have reached the end of a long line of failures and excuses.”

R450 million allocation

Brink said the city announced the largest single allocation to be made to the Rooiwal plant by committing R450 million over the next three years. They were talking to the Development Bank of South Africa as the second phase of Rooiwal will cost R2.5 billion, which was the entire capital budget of the city in any financial year.

Brink said consequences must follow. People have to be fired for the tender awarded. In the budget speech, MMC for finance Peter Sutton said R450 million will be allocated over the next three years towards fixing the Rooiwal plant, split into R150 million annual allocations.

ALSO READ: Blame game continues: ANC accuses DA of neglect in Hammanskraal cholera outbreak

“In this next financial year the first R150 million allocations will be prioritised towards finalising the phase 1 upgrades of the project,” he said.

He also announced a 0% salary increase for the financial year.

EFF regional chair Obakeng Ramabodu entered the council with a two-litre bottle of tap water from Hammanskraal and insisted Brink and speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana drink the water before the council meeting could continue.