So far, 26 people have died from cholera, the newest victim hailing from the epicentre of the bacterial disease in Hammanskraal, Tshwane.

As of Friday afternoon the national Department of Health confirmed that 26 people have died since the outbreak two weeks ago. More provinces surrounding Hammanskraal are slowly recording cases, too, with Mpumalanga recording its first death last week.

Scrolla.Africa reported that the first case of cholera in Mpumalanga was detected on Thursday. A 73-year-old patient from Mpumalanga was admitted to Mamatlake Hospital, close to Hammanskraal.

Health department communications head Foster Mohale said: "The department is doing trace findings with a strong possibility that the Mpumalanga case is directly linked to the Hammanskraal outbreak."

He said the department is also investigating cross-border infections and traces as the first case was thought to have been brought by travellers from Malawi. A single case in Limpopo is believed to emanate from a Zimbabwean national, as Zimbabwe is also experiencing a cholera outbreak.

The department is calling all South Africans to practise strict personal hygiene and watch out for early symptoms of cholera that include diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps. People experiencing these symptoms should present themselves at the nearest health facility.

While the north of Pretoria is battling to contain the outbreak, humanitarian organisations are donating water as a means to curb the spread of cholera.

The South African Female Bikers"s forum visited the area to donate bottled water and hygiene packs for residents and Old Mutual and the Red Cross have donated 100,000 litres of water and hygiene packs to the residents.

The Department of Health is yet to find the main source of the outbreak.