The City of Tshwane has suspended the manager of the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works over the water crisis in the area. Executive Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya confirmed the suspension on Friday.
Moya said a first investigation found concerns about the break in chlorine supplies at the plant. This included an alleged failure to raise the risks with seniors and to warn residents in time.
“The preliminary investigation has made progress and has resulted in the suspension of the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works plant manager, pending further investigation,” she said.
Moya said the city’s chief operations officer was asked earlier in the week to carry out that first investigation. It looked at what led to the disruption at the plant.
The mayor said she had also ordered an independent outside investigation. It must find out the full story behind the failures, spot any other weak points in the administration and decide who is to blame.
That probe will look at how the city buys goods, runs the plant, manages staff and talks to the public. It will also check whether officials followed the right controls and reporting steps.
Moya said she accepted full political responsibility for how the city handled the crisis. She said this must come with consequences for officials where negligence or misconduct is proven.
“Residents deserve to know not only what went wrong, but that there will be consequences where negligence or misconduct is established,” she said.
The city said it would work with any investigations by government agencies. While these continue, it said its first goals were protecting affected people and keeping safe water supplies going.
The city also said it would speed up repairs at the treatment works together with Rand Water. Moya said the city would make lasting changes to stop similar failures.
The crisis has hit Bronkhorstspruit and nearby communities, including Zithobeni, Dark City, Rethabiseng and Sokhulumi.
A joint investigation by the Department of Water and Sanitation, health authorities and the city looked into the problem. It found that trouble with the city’s chlorine supplier left water from the plant without chlorine between 24 September and 14 October.
Tests done on 14 October found very high levels of E. coli and total coliforms. The samples came from the treatment works and nearby reservoirs. Authorities linked the dirty water to an outbreak of stomach illness.
Investigators also found sewage pollution in the Bronkhorstspruit River, where the plant gets its water. The pollution came from broken wastewater works in Victor Khanye Municipality and faulty sewage pump stations run by Tshwane.
The findings raised questions about the city’s water treatment systems, its buying arrangements and its failure to warn residents about the risks.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.