Director-general in the Department of Water and Sanitation, Dr Sean Philips, said that the Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant had not been treating sewage properly.
In a press briefing on Thursday, the Department of Water and Sanitation has estimated that upgrades at the Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant will be completed by June 2026.
Health minister Dr Joe Phaahla says though the direct source of the Hammanskraal cholera outbreak is yet to be established, the search is being widened to check if transmission was caused by travel.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the deaths of 24 people in Gauteng and Free State due to cholera are deeply tragic and an investigation into the source of the outbreak was continuing.
The department says it’s closely monitoring the Ngwathe local municipality in the Free State and Hammanskraal in the City of Tshwane which has been the hotspot for cholera in recent weeks.