Pretoria – The Tshwane executive mayor, Cilliers Brink, was chased away by the community of Hammanskraal as he attempted to assess and allay residents' fears amid an outbreak of cholera in the area that has claimed 12 lives.
Cilliers was due to visit the Jubilee Hospital in Hammanskraal early today after health officials in the province confirmed yesterday that samples from affected patients had picked up the presence of cholera.
While the number of deaths was initially expected to be around 10 by Sunday afternoon, the Gauteng Department of Health reported early today that the number had risen to 12 so far.
Affected areas include Stinkview, Suurman, Hans Kekana View, Carousel View, Majaneng and GreenField.
Upon his (Brink's) arrival at the hospital, he was greeted by an angry mob of residents who turned him away, allowing only Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo as well as Sibongiseni Dhlomo, the Deputy Minister for Health, in.
The residents banged on his car and demanded that the mayor go away.
"The mayor wants to come here when people have already died. We don't want that; all we want is for the water to be fixed. Is he going to wake the dead or help those who are already sick?" said one of the residents protesting at the entrance of the hospital.
"The service delivery of the DA is very bad. It had to get to a point where people died first before they came here? The water has been problematic for more than 10 years now."
The Star