Following the Department of Water and Sanitation conducting a series of tests on the water network in Mahikeng to ascertain whether it has been poisoned or not it has been established that the water is indeed safe to drink.

In an astounding turn of events the tests were conducted as a result of media reports that the water supply in the area could have been poisoned by workers from the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality.

The tests were conducted at Midvaal Water Company and have concluded that there is no poison found in the water. To further cement this finding the Department of Health has confirmed it has not treated or confirmed any cases relating to water poisoning in recent days. All of this commotion has resulted in a joint communication task team has been formed to communicate messages about the status of water in Mahikeng to update community members.

“We have taken three samples in Mahikeng and upon analysis they were found to be of acceptable standard according to blue drop requirements. The Department of Water and Sanitation together with the North West provincial government will continue to monitor the status of water in Mahikeng until the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality resumes operations,” says Chadwick Lobakeng, Provincial head at the Water and Sanitation Department, North West.

In addition, the North West provincial government has deployed a private security company and a police contingent to guard all water reservoirs and boreholes over the entire Mahikeng area.

The Mahikeng local municipality, Department of Local Government and Department of Human Settlements are considering other options of providing water to villages around the city as the municipality has been hit by water shortages due to the industrial action at Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality.