OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday
THE Jukskei River running through the Alexandra township in Johannesburg has tested positive for cholera, threatening the millions of people in townships next to the river who are dependent on it for their daily water.
Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Ronnie Kasrils this week confirmed that the river tested positive. The news comes amidst an announcement by Kasrils that cholera ravaged areas in KwaZulu-Natal could be declared disaster areas after 69 people have so far died and 22_000 people were infected in the five months since the disease broke out. Two more men have died since Wednesday, with more than 700 new cases reported in this time.
Gauteng is now also facing a potential crisis because of the large communities living next to the infected Jukskei River, the first river in an urban area to be infected. So far 16 cholera cases have been confirmed in Gauteng, but according to the health department all these cases were imported from KwaZulu-Natal and other countries in the southern African region such as Mozambique and Swaziland where outbreaks have occurred.
The cholera strain in the Jukskei River downstream from Alexandra was confirmed in tests done by the SA Medical Research Council.
City officials said they were working closely with the provincial government to reduce the chance of transmission and to educate, in particularly, the Alexandra communities on the disease.
“Sewerage systems in the Alexandra area are being checked and the frequency of servicing chemical toilets and related maintenance has been increased,” said an official. A task team to identify high risk areas and to provide safe drinking water to communities has also been established.
The KwaZulu-Natal health department has warned that the average of between 500 and 700 new infections a day could continue for some time and a decline in the numbers could be realistically only expected once the dry season approaches.
Kasrils told reporters he already had discussions with Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and Provincial Affairs and Local Government Minister Sidney Mufamadi on mobilising the disaster management fund for the province. Kasrils said a disaster area could be declared once the premier of the province requested this.