Gauteng Health Department Alarmed by Rising Food Poisoning Cases
The Gauteng Health Department has raised concerns about the sharp rise in food poisoning cases among children, especially in townships, informal settlements, and hostels, reports SABC News. This follows an incident last Thursday in which seven children were admitted to Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital for suspected food poisoning. Tragically, six of the children have since passed away, while one remains in critical condition. Department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba urges local shop owners to adhere to hygiene standards.
Unlicensed Dams Collapse in Riverlands
The Department of Water and Sanitation has disclosed that the four retention dams that collapsed in August on Dassenberg Farm in Riverlands were unauthorized, reports EWN. The department attributed the responsibility to the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, urging it to be accountable for the damage. Additionally, the department noted that none of the collapsed dams were registered as safety-risk dams, and no licenses had been issued to the previous owners who built them. Wally Ramokopa, head of dam safety, stated that the Department of Water and Sanitation was not even informed about the change in dam ownership.
Rhodes University Resumes Classes Despite Water Issues
Rhodes University in Makhanda will resume its academic programme following a prolonged municipal water outage that led to the suspension of most classes on Friday due to health and hygiene concerns, reports TimesLIVE. Despite some areas of the campus and town still experiencing limited water supply, the Makana municipality issued an apology, saying that about 98% of the university's system had been recharged and received water after intense protests in the town.
