The devastation of Cyclone Freddy, which Storm Ana and Cyclone Gombe, is being exacerbated by the drought brought on by El Niño
Focus required to fix root causes: lack of access to clean water and sanitation
The report found that a failure to upgrade the Rooiwal wastewater treatment works is a health risk to residents
But the public has been warned to remain vigilant
Farmers in the Apies River area decry the damage pollution from the defective wastewater treatment plant has done to their farms and livelihoods
Cholera outbreak has been a ‘big lesson’ for the government, penitent president says, while promising to fix the problems
Experts say cholera is unlikely to end up in tap water. But for how long will it be germ-free, with half of SA’s water treatment plants struggling due to load-shedding?
The Rooiwal wastewater treatment works is set for a R4 billion upgrade
The Green and Blue Drop reports show that more than 90% of the country’s wastewater treatment works are dysfunctional
Now is the time for accountability. Our leaders must deal with the consequences of their failures.
Another national disaster looms as polluted Apies River may be the prime suspect behind the deadly Tshwane waterborne disease outbreak
Cholera was largely eliminated from industrialised countries more than a century ago, but there are still a significant number of cases each year in Africa
The utility assures people they use chlorine to disinfect water taken from Vaal River, making it safe to drink
Water expert says this does not come as a shock as there are several places where raw sewage flows into the the river
The City of Tshwane will allocate R450 million over the next three years to fix the dysfunctional Rooiwal plant, which is polluting water in the area
Is the situation in Hammanskraal a sign of what is to come?
The problems date back to about 2008, when large quantities of raw sewage began flowing into the Apies River from the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Works in Tshwane
Hammanskraal is a place that has been overlooked for decades, especially when it comes to water and sanitation
It persists because of poor sanitation and water supplies, worsening socioeconomic conditions and because governments don’t take its prevention and control seriously
Without access to safe water, the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal could soon become a full-blown epidemic, and it must be nipped in the bud
The water and sanitation department says drinking water quality from the Temba water treatment works does not meet minimum drinking water quality
Financing water is generally a low priority in most African countries, amounting to about $10-$19 billion/year
Public health experts worry an outbreak could be brewing in areas such as Diepsloot and Alexandra, where sewage runs through streets and rivers
Three cases in Gauteng were imported or import-related from Malawi but the increasing number of locally acquired cases is raising concerns
South Africa had its last cholera outbreak more than a decade ago with about 12 000 cases, following an outbreak in neighbouring Zimbabwe
Former Democratic Republic of the Congo militia fighters housed in sordid conditions, such as at camp Mubambiro, are protesting their living conditions
Solar-powered purifier removes bad taste and smells from wastewater
Commission’s long-awaited report into Vaal sewage crisis finds widespread non-compliance by the government
The pandemic may be the final blow to a nation on the brink
The DRC has systematically gone about strengthening health infrastructure, engaging the community and doing better research
The coronavirus outbreak has left millions at the mercy of the country’s warring factions, which will not stop fighting, despite an escalating humanitarian emergency
Immunisation and other preventative programmes for malaria, cholera, measles and malnutrition, which kill children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, must continue