“Government must stop throwing money at the problem” according to water boffins, Dr Anthony Turton.
He was referring to the commitment by the Department of Water Affairs (DWS) investment to solve the Hammanskraal water crisis, which left 12 people dead, 99 receiving care in the emergency unit and 37 admitted, due to a cholera outbreak in the area.
Turton also extended his hand to assist Government to solve the Hammanskraal water crisis.
Speaking to followers on social media, he said “I really want to give my full public support to the DWS as they deal with this cholera tragedy, but throwing R2. 5 billion at an undefined problem is not a viable solution.”
Questions posed to the DWS spokesperson for the Department of Water Affairs, Wisani Mavasa, about why the problem was left unsolved ten years later, were unanswered three days later.
In addition, according to the Department’s blue drop report, test results were compliant in 2022, even though residents interviewed suggest this has been a long standing issue.
The Department’s scientists and technicians and those of the Municipality have clearly not walked the system to identify the main cause of the cholera outbreak. On the other hand, the City of Pretoria has found tests to be negative every time, even after the cholera outbreak.
Turton says “Rooiwal has been mired in controversy since 2001 when attempts were made to alter the tender adjudication and procurement procedure. I became involved in 2015 when I was appointed to assess the situation with a view to litigation. That provided a wealth of forensic evidence of malfeasance and incompetence. Subsequent to that a few hundred million rand have been allocated to politically connected contractors. None of this has moved us any closer to a viable solution.”
He is further calling for” a professional Root Cause Analysis of Rooiwal WWTW to determine exactly what the problem is.” If the failure at Rooiwal can be forensically linked to the death of people from cholera, then the criminal justice system must take over to determine if a viable case exists for culpability.