Minister Pemmy Majodina denies a water-related illness outbreak in Bronkhorstspruit, as officials point to infrastructure failures and residents' water use, while offering no firm timeline for restoring a safe piped water supply.

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has denied that contaminated water in Bronkhorstspruit caused an illness outbreak, arguing that the situation cannot be classified as an outbreak without fatalities or critical cases.

On Monday, 26 October, Majodina, with Deputy President Paul Mashatile, visited Bronkhorstspruit District Hospital in Tshwane, after a rise in gastrointestinal illness linked to contaminated water in the area.

So far, 833 people have been affected by contaminated water and have sought medical assistance, with about 40% of patients aged up to four years old. Residents fell ill after drinking water from the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant, which for weeks did not use chlorine to treat E. coli due to tender issues.

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FOR CONTEXT 'This thing is killing us' -- Bronkhorstspruit bears the cost of Tshwane's water failures October 25, 2026 Majodina said three patients remained in hospital as a result of water contamination and that none had been hospitalised for more than three days.

"Admission, since the 7th of October to date, has not exceeded ... three days, meaning that people have not been very critical," said Majodina.

"They came to the hospital because they were dehydrated, and after they've been hydrated, they go...