Bronkhorstspruit Water Plant Manager Suspended After 408 Residents Fall Ill From Contaminated Supply

• Tshwane Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya provided an update on the Bronkhorstspruit water contamination crisis
• The Bronkhorstspruit Treatment Works supplied unchlorinated water for nearly three weeks, drawn from a sewage-contaminated river
• Over 400 residents fell ill, mostly children under four, after drinking water from the affected treatment plant

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG - The manager of the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works has been suspended following a preliminary investigation into one of Tshwane's worst recent public health failures, in which unchlorinated water was supplied to communities for nearly three weeks.

Tshwane Executive Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya confirmed the suspension on 23 October 2026, saying the City's Chief Operations Officer had been tasked with investigating the chlorine supply interruption at the plant, as well as the failure to alert residents to the associated health risks in time.

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The crisis unfolded between 24 September and 14 October 2026, when the plant drew water from a sewage-contaminated river and distributed it without adequate chlorine treatment. At least 408 residents reported gastrointestinal illness during this period, with young children under the age of four among the worst affected. No deaths have been reported.

"Residents deserve to know not only what went wrong, but that there will be consequences where negligence or misconduct is established," Moya said in her statement.

Independent external investigation to be conducted

Beyond the suspension, Moya has commissioned an independent external investigation to scrutinise the procurement, operational, management and communication processes at the plant, including whether proper controls and escalation procedures were in place and followed.

The City has also pledged full cooperation with any probe launched by government agencies, including the Public Protector, which is examining possible maladministration.

The mayor acknowledged broader political responsibility for the City's response but was clear that accountability could not stop there.

"Political accountability must be accompanied by administrative accountability, particularly where the health and safety of residents are concerned," she said.

In the weeks since the crisis emerged, the City has deployed water tankers to affected communities and partnered with Rand Water to accelerate the rehabilitation of the Bronkhorstspruit plant.

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Moya stated that restoring safe water access and preventing future failures remained the City's immediate priorities while investigations continue.

Other stories about the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis

• City of Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya hit back at former mayor Cilliers Brink over his statements on the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis.
• Residents across Bronkhorstspruit and nearby areas received urgent instructions on what they cannot use their tap water for.
• The Economic Freedom Fighters and Democratic Alliance filed criminal charges against the City of Tshwane in the wake of the crisis.

Source: Briefly News