Moya rejects claims linking Bronkhorstspruit water crisis to cholera

Tshwane Executive Mayor Nasiphi Moya has rejected claims by former mayor Cilliers Brink about the water crisis in Bronkhorstspruit, accusing him of spreading misleading information about the possible cause of the gastrointestinal illness outbreak and the City’s spending on water tankers.

In a statement, Moya said cholera had not been identified as the cause of the outbreak affecting residents in Bronkhorstspruit.

She acknowledged that a variant of Vibrio cholerae had been detected in water samples but said technical information provided to the City indicated that it was not the variant associated with epidemic cholera.

She added that no cholera bacteria had been detected in patient stool samples tested to date.

Moya accused Brink of amplifying fears of another cholera outbreak without adequately explaining the scientific findings available.

She pointed out that Brink had cautioned against premature conclusions during the 2023 Hammanskraal cholera outbreak, when he was executive mayor.

“Political differences should never become an excuse for creating unnecessary fear among residents,” Moya said.

The dispute comes as authorities respond to reports of gastrointestinal illness affecting children and communities in Bronkhorstspruit.

Moya defends water treatment plant investment

Moya also rejected Brink’s claims that the current administration had neglected the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works while favouring water tanker contractors.

According to Moya, the City’s approved budgets show increased funding for the plant’s refurbishment under the current administration.

During Brink’s mayoralty, the City approved an adjusted allocation of R1.2 million for the 2023/24 financial year and an initial R5 million for 2024/25. The latter allocation was subsequently increased to R6 million.

The City recorded approximately R20.8 million in actual expenditure on the plant’s refurbishment during 2025/26, Moya said.

A further R57 million has been approved for 2026/27, with another R30 million provided for in 2027/28.

Moya said this represented more than R107 million in expenditure and planned investment over the three financial years from 2025/26 to 2027/28.

She added that Bronkhorstspruit had been identified as a priority under the City’s Water Stabilisation Plan in March 2026, with interventions aimed at restoring pumping capacity and replacing filtration equipment.

Moya said Brink was entitled to question the pace of the refurbishment but disputed his suggestion that the current administration had failed to prioritise investment in the plant.

City disputes R777m water tanker claim

Moya also rejected Brink’s claim that the City spent R777 million on water tankers during the 2024/25 financial year.

She said the figure represented purchase orders recorded on the City’s SAP system, including approximately R156 million in cancelled, duplicated or unprocessed transactions.

According to Moya, actual expenditure attributable to services delivered during the financial year was approximately R441 million, of which about R99 million was incurred before the current administration took office.

She further said approximately R180 million in unpaid invoices for water tanker services from the 2023/24 financial year, under Brink’s administration, had to be settled in the following financial year after the budget for these services had been exhausted.

Moya said the City had publicly explained the figures in October 2025 and accused Brink of repeating the R777 million claim without acknowledging the reconciliation.

She also rejected allegations that the City had deliberately allowed water infrastructure to deteriorate to benefit a so-called water tanker mafia, saying Brink had provided no evidence to support the claim.

City says it is reducing reliance on water tankers

Moya said the current administration had taken steps to reduce its reliance on outsourced water tankers, including commissioning additional municipal vehicles, reducing monthly tanker expenditure and redirecting resources towards permanent water infrastructure.

However, she defended the continued use of water tankers where residents could not safely access drinking water through taps.

The statement said Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Jack Bloom had urged the City during intergovernmental engagements to increase the number of water tankers serving affected communities.

Moya said providing alternative drinking water was an essential public-health responsibility and should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of wrongdoing.

The City said it would continue working with national and provincial governments, the Department of Water and Sanitation and independent technical experts to address the situation in Bronkhorstspruit.

Moya said residents deserved accurate information and practical solutions rather than political disputes over the public-health emergency.