At least 15 people are dead amid a cholera outbreak outside Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, according to multiple reports.
Three of South Africa’s nine provinces now have confirmed cholera outbreaks, including Gauteng, which contains Pretoria and Johannesburg, according to The Times UK. The first death in the country was confirmed in February and traced to a case from nearby Malawi, which has seen hundreds of deaths from the illness.
WATCH: EFF in the @CityTshwane metro hands a glass of Hammanskraal water to the Speaker of council.
“You are saying there’s no cholera. Drink that water! Let’s see if you wake up in the morning” pic.twitter.com/SuuKcA5Jez
— QAnton (@antonnies) May 24, 2023
The disease has spread further due to poor water and sewage infrastructure, Deputy Minister for Housing and Water David Mahlobo said. He admitted his own agency’s response to concerns “has not been very productive.”
The mayor of Tshwane planned to visit Hammanskraal, a small town where the outbreak is intense, but had to leave due to the crowds surrounding his car. There, one resident told News24 what the real problem with the water is.
“The mayor never came to address the people before, but now that people have died, he wants to act as if he cares,” Sophy Malope said. “The water issue started in 2011. Our tap water was contaminated with human feces. It was the same even after boiling it. We are tired of empty talks, we want action.” (RELATED: Police Arrest Man For Allegedly Photoshopping South African President’s Face Onto Porn)
Twenty-nine countries reported cholera outbreaks in 2022, an increase over prior years, according to The World Health Organization.