Bronkhorstspruit Water Crisis: EFF and DA File Criminal Charges Against City of Tshwane and Mayor

• The EFF's Tshwane mayoral candidate, Omphile Maotwe, planned to lay criminal charges against Mayor Nasiphi Moya and city manager Johan Mettler
• The DA opened a criminal case at Pretoria Central Police Station on Monday, accusing municipal officials of failing to keep drinking water safe
• Mayor Moya publicly admitted the city had been negligent, saying the buck stopped with her as Executive Mayor

GAUTENG — Two political opposition groups have initiated legal proceedings against municipal authorities in Tshwane following a severe water pollution incident that caused widespread illness among Bronkhorstspruit locals.

Economic Freedom Fighters mayoral hopeful Omphile Maotwe scheduled a visit to a regional police precinct on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, to file formal criminal complaints against city manager Johan Mettler and Mayor Nasiphi Moya. The party posted a statement on its X account to announce the case.

Democratic Alliance files prior police report

Preceding this move, the Democratic Alliance registered a criminal case on Monday, 19 October 2026, at the Pretoria Central Police Station. Cilliers Brink, representing the DA, alleged that local leaders permitted the water purification facility supplying Bronkhorstspruit to operate without chlorine treatment for a 21-day period.

Read also

Joe 'Ferrari' Sibanyoni extortion case postponed to April 2027, prosecutor reports threats

Brink criticized the administration, noting that prior warnings regarding facility failures directed at Mayor Moya and the governing coalition were disregarded.

Mayor takes direct blame

In response, Mayor Moya conceded administrative fault on Monday via a social media statement, emphasizing that ultimate accountability rests with her office as Executive Mayor while offering apologies to Region 7 inhabitants.

View her X post here:

During a media appearance on Radio 702 on Tuesday, she reaffirmed her stance, stressing her obligation to answer directly to the citizenry.

Rising Medical Cases

The urgency of these interventions is underscored by health department figures showing that 349 individuals sought medical care for gastrointestinal complications by Friday, 16 October 2026.

Boiling doesn't purify Bronkhortspruit water

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the tap-water restrictions in Bronkhorstspruit and nearby areas, the reported illnesses and the City of Tshwane’s response.

Read also

Bronkhorstspruit tap water unsafe even after boiling, 36 tankers deployed by Tshwane

The water was supplied without chlorine for weeks, and officials say boiling it does not make it safe to use. More than 400 people have reported gastrointestinal illness, most of them children under four.

Source: Briefly News