Ramaphosa slams Tshwane over Bronkhorstspruit water crisis

President Cyril Ramaphosa has accused the City of Tshwane of dereliction of duty in its handling of water services, describing the situation in Bronkhorstspruit as “unacceptable” as the municipality faces questions over a chlorine supply failure linked to an outbreak.

Ramaphosa said the incident exposed weaknesses in municipal water management and underscored the need for national government to intervene more directly in addressing the country’s water crisis.

What has happened in Bronkhorstspruit is a complete dereliction of the work and the duties that the municipality of Tshwane was supposed to be executing. It is really sad and unacceptable that in the end it leads to diseases that are going to spread among our people.

This comes as the Sunday Times reported this week that the poor water quality at the Bronkhorstspruit treatment plant had been flagged as far back as the 2023 Blue Drop report, scoring just 42.3% against a benchmark of 95% or higher for drinking-water compliance.

The report said the department of water & sanitation also sent the Tshwane municipality a letter of noncompliance in February, and the city undertook to address the issues. However, residents have since reported falling ill after they were exposed to unchlorinated water from the Bronkhorstspruit treatment plant.

Ramaphosa was speaking amid growing concerns about water security as the country prepares for the summer season. He noted that the national government is assisting municipalities with bulk water supply, distribution infrastructure and the management of water resources.

Deputy mayor Eugene Modise defended the municipality’s response, stating that the city had invested in water infrastructure in Bronkhorstspruit ahead of the outbreak, describing the incident as regrettable. On preparations for El Niño, he said Tshwane was planning to refurbish boreholes to improve the reliability of its water supply and reduce its dependence on rainfall.