Following reports of typhoid fever cases in the City of Tshwane, the National Department of Health has confirmed that the majority of affected patients have fully recovered.
This update comes amidst heightened visibility and ongoing investigations by health officials to trace the source of the outbreak.
According to the department, 48 typhoid cases have been recorded in the Tshwane District since the beginning of the year. The department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, said officials are probing whether additional sources of infection may exist after earlier findings pointed to water contamination.
“In order to establish the connection between those tested positive and the people that they were in contact with, we conduct contact tracing. We should not look at this total number of 48. Some of these cases were detected in January, others in February, until now. So, the majority of these cases have recovered,” Mohale said.
The City of Tshwane said it is also taking the reports seriously and will continue to work closely with the Department of Health, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) to determine the root cause of the outbreak.
As a precautionary measure, the city urged residents to avoid using untreated river or borehole water for domestic purposes and to rely solely on piped municipal water for drinking and cooking. Communities are also encouraged to maintain proper hygiene practices to prevent further infections.
The Department of Water and Sanitation also commended the swift action by the City of Tshwane, DWS and the NICD in responding to typhoid cases reported in Hammanskraal and Bronkhorstspruit.
On Monday, 3 November 2025, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, along with Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Sello Seitlholo, Gauteng MEC Jacob Mamabolo and Acting Executive Mayor of Tshwane Eugene Modise, convened a meeting to assess the situation.
The meeting reviewed technical reports on the outbreak and evaluated containment measures. Preliminary findings confirmed that the city’s water supply is not the source of the infections. Tests conducted on samples from Magalies and Rand Water systems, boreholes and water tankers all came back negative for Salmonella Typhi.
Saturday Star
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