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‘Damning’ report reveals Tshwane mayor knew about water crisis, claims DA’s Brink

Meanwhile, the City of Tshwane has declared tap water in Pretoria CBD safe.

‘Damning’ report reveals Tshwane mayor knew about water crisis, claims DA’s Brink

Residents of Bronkhorstspruit are facing a crisis after their town's treatment plant began pumping unchlorinated, sewage-polluted water into communal taps, leading to more than 400 cases of severe gastrointestinal illness and diarrhoea. Susan Mashilo, a 37-year-old resident, shares her struggle as she walks with a wheelbarrow filled with water containers to secure safe water from a burst pipe on the outskirts of the township.

The town's treatment works have failed to take action despite warnings from multiple sources, including three reports flagging poor water quality, a formal noncompliance letter from the national Department of Water and Sanitation, and a low score of 42.3% in the DWS Blue Drop Report. Despite these warnings, the municipality did not implement corrective actions, resulting in a public health disaster.

The City of Tshwane has placed the Bronkhorstspruit plant manager on precautionary suspension and initiated an independent forensic investigation into chemical supply contracts and communication breakdowns.

Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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