Ramaphosa Accuses City of Tshwane of Dereliction of Duty Over Bronkhorstspruit Water Crisis

• President Cyril Ramaphosa slammed the City of Tshwane over its handling of a waterborne illness outbreak in Bronkhorstspruit
• At least 400 residents fell ill with gastrointestinal illnesses after a chlorine supply failure at the local water treatment plant
• Tshwane deputy mayor Eugene Modise defended the municipality, blaming a pricing dispute with a supplier for the chlorine shortage

GAUTENG — President Cyril Ramaphosa has publicly accused the City of Tshwane of dereliction of duty, describing its management of water services in Bronkhorstspruit as unacceptable following a chlorine supply failure that triggered a waterborne illness outbreak.

At least 400 residents fell ill with gastrointestinal illnesses after drinking unchlorinated water from the local treatment plant. According to TimesLIVE, Ramaphosa said the incident laid bare deep weaknesses in municipal governance and made the case for direct national government involvement in resolving South Africa's water crisis.

National government steps in

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833 Bronkhorstspruit residents ill after water plant ran without chlorine for three weeks

With South Africa bracing for the El Niño weather phenomenon, the president framed water security as a matter of critical national importance. In response, the government established both an interministerial committee and a national water crisis committee to coordinate responses across all spheres of government.

Tshwane Deputy Mayor defends municipality

Tshwane Deputy Mayor Eugene Modise pushed back against the criticism, arguing that the outbreak stemmed from a chlorine supply disruption rather than any failure to act on prior warnings. He explained that the municipality found itself in a pricing dispute after a supplier attempted to quadruple the cost of chlorine.

Modise confirmed that the city initiated consequence management following the incident, resulting in the suspension of the plant manager pending a formal investigation. He also outlined plans to refurbish boreholes and introduce rainwater harvesting systems to bolster the city's long-term water supply capacity. The exchange between the presidency and the municipality underscores growing tensions over accountability in South Africa's water sector, with national government signalling it is prepared to intervene where local authorities are seen to be falling short.

Ramaphosa apologises for Bronkhorstspruit crisis

In a related article, Briefly News reported on Ramaphosa’s apology for the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis, which left at least 408 people ill across four areas.

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Bronkhorstspruit water Crisis: Mashatile says government doesn’t know where tankers get their supply

Many residents rejected the apology and called for accountability after the outbreak was linked to a treatment plant operating without chlorine for three weeks.

Source: Briefly News