The number of gastrointestinal illness cases linked to contaminated water in South Africa’s Gauteng province has more than doubled to 833 from 408 previously reported cases, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina said on Monday.
Majodina announced the revised figure during a visit to the affected area in Bronkhorstspruit by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Water and Sanitation, chaired by Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
The minister said the increase was partly linked to water that had already been processed and distributed before the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant was shut down as well as to residents continuing to use water stored in household containers after the contamination incident.
Despite the sharp rise in infections, no critical cases or deaths have been reported, she announced.
The outbreak has renewed concerns over water quality and ageing infrastructure in Gauteng, South Africa’s economic hub, where intermittent supply disruptions and maintenance challenges have increasingly drawn scrutiny from residents and policymakers.
Authorities shut down the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant after contaminated water was identified as the likely source of the illnesses.
The City of Tshwane has since been supplying drinking water through tankers while repairs and rehabilitation work continue.
Majodina said four pumps had been installed at the treatment plant and that efforts were under way to restore operations in phases.
The government has also launched audits of water treatment facilities, with a particular focus on Gauteng, to assess their condition and identify infrastructure deficiencies.
Majodina said South Africa would require an estimated R400 billion (about $24.1 billion) to repair and modernise its ageing water infrastructure network, calling on the private sector to partner with municipalities in upgrading critical systems.
She warned that inadequate maintenance had contributed to the deterioration of infrastructure in several areas and stressed the need for local authorities to prioritise investment in water assets.
JN/APA