Water that harms the people is not a right fulfilled — it’s a threat
The supplying of toxic water, without warning, to the citizens of Bronkhorstspruit threatened their fundamental rights to life, health and human dignity.
The unchlorinated water supplied by Bronkhorstspruit's treatment plant, drawn from a heavily polluted river, posed a severe threat to the lives, health, and human dignity of its citizens. Between September 24 and October 14, the city failed to warn residents of the unsafe water, leading to widespread consumption and usage. This negligence resulted in 833 people being treated for gastrointestinal illnesses, including 328 children under four years old, and identified cases of norovirus, Campylobacter, and Shigella.
Despite the lack of cholera bacteria in water samples, Mayor Nasiphi Moya acknowledged negligence and commissioned an external inquiry. The Water Services Act requires municipalities to ensure both sufficient quantity and acceptable quality of water, not just one or the other. Supplying contaminated water without warning breaches the right to life, health, and human dignity enshrined in the Constitution.
The incident highlights the need for stricter enforcement of water quality standards, routine monitoring, and the imposition of legal consequences for officials who fail to take action.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
