THE escalating number of diarrhoea cases in Mbombela has sparked fear among the people of Mpumalanga.
So far 1 300 cases have been reported at health facilities in Kanyamazane and Tekwane South.
The outbreak has since spread to other areas in Kamagugu and Pienaar.
In Cunningmore Section A, residents who have been without water for several weeks are now worried, saying they are forced to share water from Majeke Dam with animals.
Speaking to Daily Sun, concerned resident Matimba Mpangane said the Bushbuckridge Municipality was taking too long to solve the water issue. He said what was happening in Mbombela had shaken everyone.
“We were promised we would have free- flowing water from Inyaka Dam when it was built, but this never happened,” he said.
Last Saturday the health department announced that investigations were under way after two people died.
When Daily Sun contacted Mbombela Municipality, its spokesman Joseph Ngala referred it to the office of the premier, saying they were now handling the matter.
The premier’s spokesman, Zibonele Mnc- wango, said they were monitoring the situation and doing tests on different patients.
“We have not found the source yet, but we are continuing to conduct clinical and water tests from different patients to find the actual source of the outbreak. We encourage communities to continue boiling water and food before consuming them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bushbuckridge Municipality spokesman Aubrey Mnisi said the water issue was being addressed and one borehole had been fixed, while the other two would be attended to within two weeks.
He urged residents to avoid drinking water from the dam.
