Cholera in South Africa: Investigation underway to determine how more than 23 people died
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00:00 Haman Scroll prays for the more than 23 people who have died of cholera here last month.
00:09 Luke has lost his mother and since then he hasn't drunk any tap water.
00:14 We buy water or when we don't have money we boil water for the bacteria to die.
00:23 In 2021 a report by the Human Rights Commission denounced the poor quality of drinking water
00:28 in the region. That's why this politician and lawyer wants to file a class action suit.
00:34 We want to sue the state on their behalf in order for them to be compensated for their
00:40 loss and the negligence of the government.
00:44 More than 75 million euros were allocated to renovate the wastewater treatment plant,
00:49 which is falling apart. But the work was never completed.
00:54 President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the site to assess the situation and apologise.
01:00 Our people have the right to clean running water and in this case we will admit we have
01:11 failed you.
01:19 Scientists at this laboratory are trying to understand where the epidemic came from, but
01:22 they are not surprised. Hamanskrol already had a cholera outbreak in 2016 and according
01:28 to research, 50% of tap water in South Africa is unsafe to drink.
01:33 It's really a big battle that we're sitting with but there's no excuse really. There has
01:38 been sufficient funds. It's about getting the right people in play and then also to
01:43 ensure that we maintain and ensure that there's sufficient supply and demand in the future.
01:49 Hamanskrol is only 40 kilometres from Pretoria, the capital of South Africa. While waiting
01:55 for clean tap water, its residents rely on trucks to supply it.
01:59 (audience laughing)