Bronkhorstspruit residents were not warned about potentially unsafe drinking water, the DA alleged as it announced plans to open a criminal case against City of Tshwane officials.

DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink said this morning (October 16) that the party wanted an investigation into whether municipal officials had fulfilled their legal obligations to alert residents to possible health risks.

The announcement came as the city investigated between 140 and 160 reported cases of diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal illnesses in Bronkhorstspruit and surrounding areas between October 7 and 12.

Tshwane MMC for Health Tshegofatso Mashabela said in a statement that most patients were treated at Bronkhorstspruit Hospital. Others were treated at Mamelodi Hospital, Steve Biko Academic Hospital and Wilgers Hospital. No deaths had been reported.

Mashabela said the city had intensified water testing at the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant and across the distribution network. A multidisciplinary team comprising the city, Tshwane District Health Services and provincial and national health departments is investigating the cases.

The city said a water-borne illness was one possible explanation, but it had not established the cause. Blood and stool test results were still pending.

The DA also demanded the release of water-quality test results, chlorine treatment records and operational reports. “A whistle-blower reported the treatment plant had operated without chlorine treatment for three weeks,” Brink said.

However, the city has not independently verified this allegation, and by the time of publication, it had not confirmed that chlorine treatment was interrupted.

The planned criminal case is intended to establish whether officials failed to meet their legal obligations. So far, no official has been found to have breached those obligations.

Residents raise concerns over water quality

The latest reports have renewed concerns about the water supply in Bronkhorstspruit and surrounding communities, where residents have previously reported discoloured tap water and prolonged shortages.

During an earlier Caxton Network News investigation, a resident described becoming ill after using discoloured tap water.

She said that she had brushed her teeth with what she described as ‘ugly brown water’ and suffered diarrhoea for two days afterwards. Residents also bemoaned the cost of buying drinking water and relying on tankers when municipal supplies were unavailable.

Parties clash over treatment plant

The treatment plant’s condition and output have become a point of contention between political parties.

Brink previously said the plant produced 15 megalitres of water a day, compared with its design capacity of 54 megalitres.

The DA has called for greater transparency about the plant’s performance and the quality of water supplied to residents.

Cobus Coetzee, ActionSA – councillor for Tshwane’s Ward 105 which includes Bronkhorstspruit – previously disputed claims that the plant is not functioning properly.

Coetzee said the city introduced interventions from October 2024, including new high-lift pumps, switchgear and electrical panels, and new raw water extraction pumps. In addition, he said the city had allocated R57m for upgrades during the 2026/27 financial year and that water-quality monitoring had been intensified.

“The plant is in perfect working condition,” Coetzee said.

The competing claims about the plant’s condition and capacity remain unresolved.

City advises residents to use alternative water

The city has urged residents to use alternative safe water supplies, including municipal tankers, while the investigation continues.

It said tankers serving Region 7 source water from Cullinan, outside the affected supply area, and that the city disinfects tankers daily. Drivers have also been trained in safe drinking water handling.

Residents experiencing persistent diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, weakness or signs of dehydration have been urged to seek medical attention, particularly children, older people and other vulnerable residents.

Caxton Network News has sent additional questions to the City of Tshwane, but it has not received a reply by the time of publication.

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