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4 NEWS TUESDAY JUNE 3 2014 The Star LERATO MBANGENI AND JOYCE LEE [email protected] [email protected] MASERAME Mogoregi could barely bring herself to speak. She sat listlessly as the hot afternoon sun beat down on her back. Her 1-year-old son had died just three days previously. Onalenna Mogoregi, born and raised in Boitumelong township in Bloemhof, North West, began to vomit and had diarrhoea last Monday. His mother took him to the clinic later that day. “When I got there, they told me that the medicine was fin- ished. So I took him home and kept giving him mageu (maize- based drink) and Powerade.” North West health officials acknowledged the medicine shortage and said it had now been resolved. On Wednesday, the day offi- cials said the problem had been resolved, Mogoregi took Ona- lenna to the chemist. The medicine did not improve his condition. The next day, she took him back to the clinic, where he was put on a drip. “They saw that he was weak, so they took him to Bloemhof Hospital,” said the 24-year-old. At 6am on Friday, the doc- tors rushed the boy to Klerks- dorp Hospital. “He died on the way,” said Mogoregi. “I had been giving him the boiled water and the mixture as people were saying the water is bad. But (the gov- ernment) told us too late,” Mogoregi said. Another child died on the resuscitation table of a hospital at the weekend, raising the death toll to three. Minister of Water and Sani- tation Nomvula Mokonyane and North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo came to pay their respects to the family on Sun- day, while visiting the area to address the unrest caused by the water problems. Municipal officials have identified two possible sources of the water contamination in Bloemhof. According to Oatile Lete- bele, the director of corporate services at the Lekwa Teemane Local Municipality, the first cause may be from residents dumping waste into the Free State side of the Vaal River. “People who are using sep- tic tanks pump (the sewage) into the water sewage lines, and a septic tank is built there to capture the sewage. “But there are times when there is a delay and the resi- dents may have pumped it into the Vaal River instead.” He said a contractor was forced to flee riots last month, leaving manholes at a construc- tion site unsealed. He said the source of the contamination was E.coli, but assured that the water had been backwashed and purified. On Friday, the lab results tested negative for E.coli. A report from the National Institute of Communicable Dis- eases said there was no certainty that the water con- tained E.coli. Some Boitumelong town- ship residents told The Star yesterday that they still did not have running water. VUYO MKIZE [email protected] THE DEMOCRATIC Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) has called on Itireleng Clinic in Dobsonville, Soweto, to be shut down, urging patients to go to other clinics instead. Patients have lamented the lack of medication, and DA MPL Jack Bloom has labelled it a death trap. A chain of power outages, faulty and non-functional machinery and, most recently, the death of a newborn baby – allegedly due to a faulty oxygen machine – are some of many problems plaguing the clinic. Busisiwe Skosana took her sons – aged 11, 9 and 5 – to the clinic early yesterday morning for treatment, but was instead sent home after being told the clinic didn’t have treatment for their ailments. “My one son has a problem with his ears, the other has a problem with his gums and another was booked off from school and told to come to the clinic for his cough, but we couldn’t get treatment for any of them,” she said. According to Denosa, a baby born around 2pm on Friday died an hour and 25 minutes later at the clinic’s maternal obstetric unit due to “the harsh condition it was exposed to and the malfunctioning tools of trade at the clinic”. Denosa and Bloom appealed to new Gauteng MEC of Health Qedani Mahlangu to act to rec- tify issues plaguing the clinic. Department spokesman Simon Zwane said the De- partment of Infrastructure Development was in the process of upgrading the cir- cuit board to ensure an unin- terrupted supply of electricity to the clinic. TANIA BROUGHTON THE Black Lawyers Associa- tion (BLA) joined Advocates for Transformation in warning those “attacking the integrity” of National Prosecuting Authority boss Mxolisi Nxa- sana to back off. The association’s president, Busani Mabunda, likened crit- icism of Nxasana, linked to his not disclosing that he was tried for and acquitted of murder 30 years ago, to critics of Presi- dent Jacob Zuma, saying Zuma should not be in office because he was acquitted of rape. “We unreservedly support him and this frivolous cam- paign is without substance and not legally sustainable,” Ma- bunda said. “The BLA does not under- stand how on earth a person can be appointed to lead such an important institution when there has not been a proper background check… the ques- tion of his fitness to head the NPA cannot now be genuinely raised.” Nxasana – a Durban lawyer who was appointed to the post by Zuma in October – was at his desk in Pretoria yesterday, still waiting to hear what, if any, steps would be taken against him in the light of allegations that he had failed his security clearance because of past brushes with the law. Newly appointed Justice Minister Michael Masutha said in a statement at the weekend he was “familiarising himself with the facts” and would then determine the process to be followed. With Nxasana claiming he is a victim of a smear cam- paign and refusing to resign, the minister’s choices are lim- ited because only a commission of inquiry can determine whether he is a fit and proper person to hold office. Nxasana believes he might be placed on “special leave”, a move he will challenge because he wants to testify at an in- quiry to expose those he says have been undermining him, peddling lies and boasting that they will bring him down. Nxasana says he wrote to Jeff Radebe the day after the then justice minister asked him to resign, just before Radebe’s redeployment as a minister in the Presidency. Late last week, The Star’s sister paper, The Mercury, ex- posed details of the widening rift between Nxasana and Radebe, who apparently backs one of Nxasana’s deputies for the job. Nxasana claims the secu- rity clearance is a red herring, being used to get rid of him. He says he did disclose the case of murder to several peo- ple, including a director in the State Security Agency, but he believed he did not have a duty in law to disclose it on the vet- ting form because he was acquitted, and the form asks only for pending cases and pre- vious convictions. In his letter to Radebe, Nxa- sana claims the same applies to the arrest for inconsiderate driving: “I disclosed the com- plaint where I was fined by the Law Society, and it is there in my vetting documents.” Asked for an update yester- day, Masutha’s spokesman Lawrence Ngoveni referred to the weekend statement. Lawyers, advocates voice support for head of NPA Nxasana wants to testify at an inquiry ‘to expose those who want to get rid of him’ NPA BOSS: Black lawyers are defending Mxolisi Nxasana. Striking Gautrain guards slam firm over pay VUYO MKIZE [email protected] SECURITY guards working at Gautrain stations in Joburg have downed tools over out- standing payments and low wages. More than 100 guards from the Rosebank, Sandton and Park stations did not report for work yesterday morning, claiming they had not been paid for overtime and weekend work since October. They also claimed their nor- mal pay was not in accordance with the Labour Department’s sectoral determination. “People are not being paid according to the hours they have worked,” said Lucky Mabasa, a representative for the group. The guards are employed by Gubevu Security Group, a subcontractor to Bombela Concession Company, which operates the Gautrain. “Our contract states that after 208 hours worked, we get paid a basic salary. Above that we should get paid overtime, but we do not get paid overtime. People work 27 days and only get paid for 17 days,” he said. The Star has seen guards’ payslips, which range from a net pay of R2 700 to R2 800. They also complained about not getting bonuses and expressed unhappiness at the R150-a-day penalty they had to pay if absent from work. The Star contacted Gubevu Security Group and a manager – who wanted to remain anony- mous – said the company would need to contact its lawyers before commenting. The Gautrain’s Errol Braithwaite had neither responded to SMSes nor returned calls at the time of publication last night. AGGRIEVED: Gautrain security guards went on strike yesterday over wages. PICTURE: DUMISANI DUBE E. coli, once in the human digestive system, begins producing toxins that cause serious illnesses. Symptoms caused by E.coli • Stomach muscle spasms • Diarrhoea (sometimes bloody diarrhoea) • Fever • Vomiting Complications: Hemolytic uraemic syndrome Death rate: 3-5% E.coli (EHEC) is a bacterium that can cause severe foodborne disease. Primary sources of EHEC outbreaks are raw or undercooked ground meat products, raw milk and faecal contamination of vegetables. In most cases, the illness is self-limiting, but it may lead to a life-threatening disease including haemolytic uraemic syndrome, especially in young children and the elderly. EHEC is heat-sensitive. In preparing food at home, be sure to follow basic hygiene practices such as cooking thoroughly. Graphic: Sithembile Mtolo WHO (World Health Organisation) Plea for ‘death trap’ Soweto clinic to be closed NO HELP: Itireleng Clinic in Dobsonville couldn’t give a mother-of- three medication for her children. PICTURE: MATTHEWS BALOYI MEC inspects filthy school again ALLY MUTNICK [email protected] THE NEW Gauteng MEC for education visited Westbury Primary School yesterday to ensure running water and elec- tricity would be restored by the end of the week. Parents have complained that the school has been with- out functioning toilets for three months. Faeces covered the floor of the toilets, they said, and the smell made children vomit. Panyaza Lesufi briefly walked on the grounds of the school. It is the second time he has visited the premises since he took office last month. “I’m really worried about progress. I’m monitoring this. I want to use this school as a case study. Sanitation is dignity, water is life.” One block of toilets is func- tioning, but another is still out of order, said Phumla Sekhon- yane, the department’s spokes- woman. The school still has no electricity. Department officials would not allow reporters to view any of the school’s toilets during school hours. The school organises its own finances and is responsi- ble for paying electricity and water bills, Sekhonyane said. The department settled the amount owing when it became aware of the school’s lack of power last month. Yet when the power was restored, the surge caused more problems, she said. Contractors were hired to fix the electricity and the sewerage. Lesufi promised to put pres- sure on administrators so they would not allow the facilities to deteriorate again. Parents expressed frustra- tion at the lack of communica- tion from school officials. They said they had heard nothing of the work being done to restore the plumbing. Many are concerned about their children’s safety. “Our kids are keeping (in) their pee until they get home,” said Kahdija Butt, whose daughter is in Grade R. “They wet themselves.” The parents came together to clean the toilets in February, but many still feel conditions have not improved. Leilah Davids said her 7-year-old daughter got an infection and felt a burning sensation when she urinated. Because no one else in her home showed any signs of an infection, she believed her daughter con- tracted it from the school’s unsanitary toilets. “I’m so worried even to send her to school in the morning,” Davids said. Earlier, Lesufi visited Jor- dao College, where the princi- pal had ordered teachers to inspect girls for sexual activity after cleaners found a bloodied condom in the bathroom. Though the school believes its actions were appropriate, Lesufi said administrators would issue an apology to the parents of girls in grades 10 to 12. The SA Human Rights Com- mission would investigate the incident. A team of counsellors would be assigned to the school to help affected pupils. “I’m a dad with a little daughter. It reaches home. It touches you. They just have to apologise,” Lesufi said. BALDWIN NDABA [email protected] THE MUNICIPAL manager of Lekwa-Teemane was sus- pended yesterday amid a water contamination crisis. North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo said Andrew Makuapane was suspended pending a foren- sic investigation into the cri- sis, which claimed the lives of three infants in the area last week. A preliminary report from the investigation was to be tabled before a special meeting of the provincial executive council today. “The suspension of Andrew Makuapane follows a meeting that involved Premier Mahumapelo, Minister of Water and Sani- tation Nomvula Mokonyane and the exco (executive com- mittee) intervention task team established by the pre- mier to look into challenges facing the municipality and visits to families who lost three infants.” Mahumapelo said a joint team – which includes his cabinet task team and Water and Sanitation officials – had been established to look into the ailing infrastruc- ture, a funding model for the municipality, governance and administrative chal- lenges facing the municipal- ity, and sewage spillage into the water pipes, which has resulted in the contamina- tion of water. Meanwhile, the ANC joined many South Africans in extending its sympathies to the families affected. “The ANC has noted and welcomed the pronounce- ments made by the minister of water and sanitation in relation to the situation in Bloemhof,” ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said. “This commitment is in line with the undertaking we have made, as the ANC, to significantly improve the provision of water and sanitation. “A major and urgent task that faces the newly formed department will be to ensure that we strengthen local govern- ment’s capacity to provide every household with qual- ity, clean and safe drinking water while at the same time accelerating delivery on our resolution to eradi- cate the bucket system in South Africa.” Numsa likely to ignore ceasefire AMY MUSGRAVE Group Labour Editor THE NATIONAL Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) looks set to defy an order by Cosatu not to pursue action that would feed into divisions in the federation. Although it could not be confirmed last night, The Star was informed by an insider that Numsa’s national executive committee had decided to go against a Cosatu resolution to hold fire for a month. All Numsa spokesman Castro Ngobese would say was that the union’s national office-bearers were consolidating decisions on the way forward. Numsa’s national executive committee met for two days to decide whether it should toe the line. The pow-wow, which insiders described as tense, came after a resolution by Cosatu’s central executive committee that its 19 affiliates, including Numsa, may not pursue action which would further “militate hostilities” in South Africa’s largest trade union federation. This ceasefire is meant to last for a month while the ANC attempts to broker a peace deal in Cosatu. Affiliates had until yesterday to get buy-in from their members on the Cosatu resolution. Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said last week that if Numsa, or any of the other affiliates, did not co-operate, the federation would hold an extraordinary meeting where the union would be sanctioned. Ngobese said Numsa would make its decisions known today. I’m so worried to send her to school Boss out as team probes water crisis HEARTBROKEN: A tearful Maserame Mogoregi speaks to The Star at her home in the Madiba section of Boitumelong township in Bloemhof about the tragic death of her little boy. TOOK ILL: Baby Onalenna Mogoregi died after drinking the water in the area. Residents say they are afraid to drink it even when it is boiled. Filthy-water death devastates mom WHAT IS E.COLI
