MORE than 150 suspected cases with one death have been confirmed between 1 January and 18 April 2024
The Minister of Health Joe Phaahla said 11 of these cases were registered in Limpopo and one in Gauteng.
This was announced by Phaahla on Friday, 19 April when he reported on the state of public health in the country.
Phaahla also pointed out that some of these cases originated from outside the country.
“Three of these cases were imported from Zimbabwe with no clear history of contact with other confirmed cases... The risk of both imported cases and local transmission remains high due to cross-border movements to and from Zimbabwe and Mozambique,” he said.
These confirmed cases have also claimed the life of a 48-year-old man.
A man from Musina in Vhembe District, who had diarrhoea, was admitted on 16 March and died on 21 March at Pietersburg Hospital, Phaahla said.
With cases slowly increasing in the country, Phaahla appealed to the country's residents to exercise caution in view of the recurring cases.
ALSO READ: Cholera outbreak regrettable
He appealed to organisers of social gatherings, including religious and traditional events, to ensure strict adherence to personal hygiene, including hand washing, especially when preparing and serving food, and the provision of washing facilities to prevent possible transmission of cholera and other food and water-borne diseases.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, 15 April 19, Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu, Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink, accompanied by water and sanitation deputy ministers David Mahlobo and Judith Tshabalala, visited the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works and Klipdrift Package Plant project in Hammanskraal
Daily Sun reported that despite the expansion of the Temba Water Treatment Plant to a capacity of 120 megalitres per day, the Hammanskraal community is constantly struggling with water supply problems.
Mchunu said at the time that the situation should have been dealt with before it occurred.
He said since the outbreak of cholera in 2023, the department had to look for money and initiate the procurement process and this has taken time.
Mchunu emphasised that some tests were done but there was nothing scientific that could be linked to the outbreak.
