President Cyril Ramaphosa has apologised to the residents of Hammanskraal while admitting the government has failed to provide them with clean running water.
Ramaphosa visited Temba Stadium on Thursday after the cholera outbreak in the area which claimed the lives of people and conducted an oversight visit at the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant said to be at the centre of water crisis in Hammanskraal.
The death rate from cholera in the country now stands at 31, with Gauteng as the epicenter accounting for 29 deaths while the Free State and Mpumalanga recorded one death each.
Ramaphosa conceded that the residents have been raising concerns about the water for a long time, that the quality of the water is not good for consumption.
“You have raised concerns that water here is not good quality water and this has been your problem for years and years. The issue has been there for a long time. I want to apologise to everyone on our collective behalf.
“The constitution gives you the right to clean running water and in this case we will admit that we have failed you. We have failed the people of Hammanskraal. We have failed you. We couldn’t give you the basic right to provide clean running water,” said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa said investigations to determine the source of the outbreak are still ongoing.
“Even though investigations are still being made to investigate and to find out exactly what led to the death of 29 people and where the source of this cholera was. The fact that you don’t have clean running water is enough for us to be extremely concerned about the exercise of your right as the people of our country.
“Yes, the investigation is still ongoing. Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla was briefing earlier today that yes they are still trying to find the real source,” said Ramaphosa.
The national government and the City of Tshwane have released an implementation plan to fix the Rooiwal Waste Treatment Plant.
