Govt must act to prevent more cholera deaths, urges Amnesty International
Amnesty International SA has urged the government to act immediately to
prevent the death of another person in a cholera outbreak that's rocked
Hammanskraal, north of Tshwane.
The human rights organisation says it's appalling and unacceptable that people are succumbing to cholera in 2023, adding that the disease is preventable and can be easily treated.
Amnesty’s Mienke Steytler says the Department of Water and Sanitation must urgently work with municipalities, as well as the Department of Health, to take immediate action to ensure that water across the country is safe for usage and consumption.
Fifteen people, including a three-year-old child, have died and more than 30 people are being treated in hospital.
Steytler says access to clean water is a human right, not a privilege.
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"The right to access safe, sufficient and reliable water is enshrined in the constitution and will continue to be threatened and lives risked unless the government prioritises investment in infrastructure and tackles corruption and mismanagement of public funds."
