As families in Polokwane mourn the deaths of four children amid a deepening water contamination crisis, ActionSA has accused the city’s leadership of abandoning residents at their most vulnerable, vowing to escalate the matter to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Public Protector.
The condemnation follows an urgent oversight visit by ActionSA to the Polokwane Municipality on Monday, 5 January, where the party said it was met with a complete absence of leadership as residents grappled with fears over unsafe water.
Malebo Kobe, an ActionSA Member of Parliament, said the party was shocked to find both the mayor and the municipal manager on leave at the height of the crisis.
“Upon arriving at the municipality, we were surprised to find both the mayor and municipal manager on leave, leaving residents to endure a deepening emergency without guidance or support,” Kobe said.
She added that it took ActionSA’s visit for the mayor to finally take action, with his first step being a planned inspection of the Seshego Water Treatment Plant.
“This comes despite the mayor previously dismissing these concerns, claiming that water quality and access were unrelated to the tragic loss of lives,” she said.
Kobe further criticised the city’s leadership, stating that residents were left without answers when they needed them most.
“At the height of this crisis, they abandoned residents without leadership or answers, only acting after pressure from ActionSA, a shocking failure, particularly in the wake of the tragic deaths of four children. Families continue to bury their loved ones while basic services fail,” she said.
ActionSA said it would escalate the matter to the SAHRC and the Public Protector, stressing that the fundamental rights to water, dignity, and life cannot be violated through gross negligence and poor governance.
Amid the growing criticism, Executive Mayor Makoro John Mpe moved to reassure residents, outlining steps taken following health and water quality concerns in Seshego after ActionSA’s oversight visit on Tuesday, 6 January.
Mpe said moments of public health concern demanded visible and accountable leadership, adding that reports of possible water contamination and cases of diarrhoea were treated with the utmost seriousness and prompted immediate municipal action.
“Let me be clear from the outset… we acted immediately; not tomorrow, not after pressure, but the moment these concerns were brought to our attention,” Mpe said.
He cautioned against speculation linking illness directly to the municipal water supply, saying conclusions must be guided by science and verified facts.
According to Mpe, the Limpopo Department of Health has since confirmed that there is no link between reported gastroenteritis cases and the municipality’s water supply and that no child deaths have been attributed to waterborne diseases.
He said preliminary technical assessments detected high turbidity levels at one borehole supplying parts of Seshego, prompting precautionary measures, including the shutdown of the entire Seshego water system to allow for thorough cleansing and flushing.
Mpe confirmed that the affected borehole has been permanently decommissioned, with plans underway to install a package water treatment plant. He added that all boreholes feeding the network were temporarily switched off following recent rainfall as part of broader safety measures.
“We will not gamble with lives. We will not wait for crises to deepen before we act,” Mpe said, confirming that continuous water sampling and monitoring were ongoing in collaboration with health authorities.
He urged residents to remain calm, rely on official communication, practise proper hygiene, and report any concerns directly to the municipality.
“As your Executive Mayor, I give you this assurance: we are monitoring this situation closely, we are strengthening our systems, and we will continue to communicate openly as verified information becomes available,” Mpe said.
The Star
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