The death toll of the Hammanskraal cholera outbreak has risen, with two more people confirmed dead, the Gauteng Health Department announced on Wednesday.
ALSO READ: Cholera outbreak claims 10 lives
The latest announcement brings the total number of deaths to 17.
The number of laboratory-confirmed cases of Cholera stands at 29, while 67 patients are admitted due to gastrointestinal infection.
“The number of patients that have been seen at the Jubilee District Hospital is sitting at 165 and this number includes 18 patients who have been transferred to other health facilities in Tshwane,” the Department of Health said.
It reiterated calls for the public to refrain from consuming known or suspected contaminated food and water.
The Department confirmed earlier in the week that there were 44 recorded cases of cholera country wide, with six cases confirmed in the Free State, one In Limpopo and 37 in Gauteng.
Minister Senzo Mchunu, on Monday activated technical teams to work with the City of Johannesburg and the health department, to assist with water quality investigations from taps, stationary tanks and identifying the causes of the outbreak.
ALSO READ: Local clinic hosts open day
The Minister further announced that he would deploy Deputy Ministers, David Mahlobo and Judith Tshabalala and senior managers of the Department to work with the Gauteng MEC for Health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.
Meanwhile political parties expressed concerns at the outbreak, with ActionSA being the latest party to react citing that it intended to lay complaints against former mayor Randall Williams and the City of Tshwane to the office of the Public Protector and South Africa Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)
In 2021, The SAHRC compiled a report ‘Gauteng Provincial Inquiry into the Sewage Pollution of the City of Tshwane’s Rivers and The Roodeplaat Dam’ looking into the water crisis in Hammanskraal.
ALSO READ: Improved sanitation restores the dignity of millions of learners
The report recommended that the national government should take over the water and sanitation function of the city, which was rejected by the City of Tshwane.
Minister Mchunu said they were looking to pursue legal action against the City to force it to use its USDG allocations to rehabilitate and upgrade the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works.
