Cholera fears in EC town
2008-11-26 10:19
Port Elizabeth - There are fears that cholera and other diseases might break out in the town of Hofmeyr, where bucket toilets in two informal settlements have reportedly not been emptied in nearly a month.
Residents are angry about what they see as the local municipality's slackness when it comes to service delivery.
A terrible smell hangs over the whole town, apparently made worse by people not using the full bucket toilets but seeking alternatives.
Residents of Hofmeyr and nearby Eluxolweni and Twinsville on Tuesday held a march to the Tsolwana Municipality in Hofmeyr. They complained about impurities and worms in their drinking water and raised concerns that diseases like diarrhoea and cholera could break out.
Similo Dayi, municipal manager of the Tsolwana Municipality said he had visited Hofmeyr on Tuesday and workers were busy with the bucket toilets.
He said the buckets were emptied on a weekly basis and he was not aware of problems with the service. He didn't know how many people used the buckets.
Breaking point
The Tsolwana Municipality is part of the Chris Hani District Municipality.
Thobeka Mqamelo, a spokesperson for the district municipality said they had only become aware of the problems in Hofmeyr on Tuesday. "Tsolwana is responsible for its own contracts but the situation reached breaking point and the district municipality will send an investigating team to the town. Intervention may follow," she said.
Sizwe Kupelo, spokesperson of the Eastern Cape Health Department, said the conditions in the town could definitely lead to diseases. "Unhygienic conditions, especially with regards to water, are the main causes of diseases like cholera and diarrhoea."
Dr Henri Maarschalk, a lecturer in environmental health at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, said water that was treated with chlorine shouldn't contain the cholera virus.
"In times of doubt the water can be treated with more chlorine. The people will smell it but it won't harm anyone."