Tshwane’s Acting Executive Mayor, Eugene Modise, has dismissed claims that the city is facing a typhoid fever crisis due to 48 reported cases, saying the outbreak is a seasonal trend during warmer months and not unusual.
He assured residents that there is no cause for alarm, stating that the city’s treated water meets the South African National Standard (SANS 241) for drinking water quality.
He was responding to public concerns over a reported surge in typhoid cases following DA claims that Mayor Nasiphi Moya had been silent on the outbreak.
DA mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink has criticised Moya’s silence on the outbreak, saying it undermines trust in the city’s ability to manage the situation effectively.
“The DA notes the statement by the City of Tshwane that no typhoid-related bacteria have been detected in routine tests, but it is important that this data be released to the public or at least be given to independent water experts,” he said.
Brink also expressed concerns about the city’s reliance on water tanker contractors, particularly in areas like Hammanskraal.
“We do not want to cause unnecessary alarm, but it is essential that the city and its political leadership are prepared for different scenarios, especially in light of the 2023 Cholera outbreak,” he said.
Modise cautioned political parties and individuals against using public health issues for political gain.
“Spreading false or misleading information risks causing unnecessary panic and undermines the efforts of health professionals working to protect communities,” he said.
He said as of October 31, 2025, Tshwane reported 48 laboratory-confirmed typhoid cases since January 1, 2025, with most cases in Hammanskraal and Bronkhorstspruit, marking an increase from 35 cases during the same period last year.
“Health authorities have confirmed that the reported cases are not linked, and investigations into possible sources of infection are continuing. Daily water-quality testing is being conducted across the city’s network and through independent laboratories. To date, no Salmonella typhi bacteria have been detected in any municipal or tanker-supplied water samples,” Modise said.
A joint briefing meeting was held on November 3, 2025, between the Minister of Water and Sanitation, the City of Tshwane, and the Gauteng Provincial Government to discuss the outbreak and efforts to keep it under control.
The Department of Water and Sanitation commended the city’s swift action in response to the incidents of typhoid cases.
Department spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa, said preliminary reports at this stage confirm that water was not the source of the contamination.
She said the meeting noted that there were still challenges of water supply in some areas of Tshwane and that water is an important component of health and hygiene.
“The ministry is concerned that the current incidents of typhoid are occurring in a community that has recently recovered from a cholera outbreak. Both cholera and typhoid can be spread either through consuming contaminated water or poor food handling and hygiene,” Mavasa said.
The city advised residents to take precautions by practicing good hygiene, including regular handwashing with soap and clean water, storing drinking water safely, and avoiding untreated water from rivers or boreholes for domestic use.
“Anyone experiencing persistent fever, headache, or abdominal pain should visit their nearest clinic immediately,” the city said.
Municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the drinking water samples taken from different points in the affected areas and tested have not determined an epidemiological link between these cases.
“Furthermore, the results have not yet determined the source of the contamination, thus no Salmonella typhi could be found in any of the drinking water sources. The investigations and interventions will continue until such time that the root cause of the disease has been established,” he said.
