Photo by Delwyn Verasamy/M&G
Cholera is a highly infectious disease that comes from ingesting food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting, causing dehydration. Although only one in 10 people present with severe symptoms, people can die from dehydration quickly.
In Tshwane, 23 people have died of cholera. One person has died in the Free State, while Limpopo recorded its first case this week. Health Minister Joe Phaala said the source of the outbreak in Hammanskraal has not been identified and that there is a downward trend in infections and serious illnesses.
The situation made many South Africans take note of the water crisis. We’ve been reporting on this for some time. This week the Mail & Guardian relived our 2015 coverage where we detailed some of the major water issues countrywide.
But now is not a time for “I told you so”. Now is the time for accountability. Our leaders must deal with the consequences of their failures. The lives lost are on their hands.
Hammanskraal has been a time bomb for two decades. Report after report found its water unsafe for consumption. Leaders knew about it but dismissed reports.
When the time came to fix it, inordinate amounts were paid to people who did not adequately do the job. Now we sit with 100 cholera cases and 20-something deaths and no one will be held accountable. No one will explain to the people who lost a loved one how we reached this state.
Our water is in a precarious position. Our wastewater treatment plants are not effective. Cholera can become widespread.
Untreated water is pouring into our supply. The poor suffer the most, as they are the ones forced to use untreated water.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) recently said 11 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa are battling cholera. These include Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, South Sudan, Burundi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
South Africa enjoys claiming exceptionalism, but we’re on the list.
It’s another stain on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s time as leader. Our leaders must take immediate steps to right the wrongs.
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research researcher Basanda Nondlazi wrote, “It is my strong recommendation that we declare the cholera outbreak a national pandemic without delay. [This] would unlock access to additional funding from organisations like Unicef. These funds can then be allocated to the development of intensive river rehabilitation and water resources management aimed at conserving and enhancing our rivers from catchment to coast.”
People need adequate sanitation. And our water needs to be treated properly. It is criminal to continue allowing dirty water back into our rivers.