Tshwane suspends plant manager following Bronkhorstspruit water crisis

The City of Tshwane has suspended the manager of the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works following the distribution of contaminated water to residents. The incident led to an outbreak of gastrointestinal illnesses, with some reports indicating record high levels of E. coli in the supply.

Investigations revealed that the plant ran out of chlorine on September 23, yet water continued to be pumped to homes for approximately three weeks without treatment. Mayor Nasiphi Moya stated that an independent external investigation has been commissioned to examine procurement, operational management, and communication failures. The inquiry aims to determine why leadership was not alerted to the chlorine shortage and why residents were not warned that the water was unsafe.

The Department of Water and Sanitation identified the lack of chlorine after reviewing plant logs. While the Mayor has accepted political responsibility for the city’s response, she emphasized that administrative accountability is necessary to address the systemic failures in the water value chain.