Widespread rumours are doing the rounds on various media and social media platforms that the Executive Mayor of Emalahleni collapsed as she delivered the 2022 State of the Municipality Address (SOMA).

“It is fake news that the mayor ‘collapsed’ after drinking municipal tap water. This is nothing but gutter journalism,” says the municipal spokesperson, Mr Lebo Mofokeng.

The mayor, Cllr Conny Nkalitshana did not feel well while she was delivering her address on Thursday, June 30, and requested the finance member of the mayoral committee, Ms Faith Msibi to complete delivering her SOMA speech as Witbank News reported in a previous article.

Nkalitshana was taken to the hospital to be checked out and is currently in good spirit. She should be able to resume her mayoral duties subject to the doctor’s advice.

“The municipality would like to assure its residents that the quality of water is good for human consumption and the municipality is participating in the blue and green drop of both water and wastewater quality monitoring. I can confirm that the municipal potable water does meet the minimum norms and standards and is suitable for human consumption, Mofokeng concluded.