By Lynne Altenroxel and Anna Cox
Cholera has claimed its first life in Gauteng - a four-year-old girl who apparently contracted the disease during a river baptism.
The Gauteng Department of Health on Friday asked people to steer clear of all rivers in the province, but it is unclear whether church groups which regularly baptise members in the Jukskei and other rivers around the province would go ahead with their baptisms this weekend.
"We recommend that all rivers in our province now be considered unsafe," Gauteng MEC for Health Dr Gwen Ramokgopa said, after positive tests results for cholera bacteria in the Jukskei near Marlboro Drive.
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'No one told us it was dangerous' However, a visit to the area on Friday revealed that not one person was aware that cholera had been found in the river. The river had, in fact, been cordoned off, but no notices were up yet. Not one resident had been verbally notified or handed notices warning them of cholera.
No one was using the river, but the residents claimed that they never usually used it because the water was so dirty.
Pinkie Chaka said the council should have told them about the cholera because children sometimes played in the water, despite being told not to. "The adults don't use the water but sometimes the children come here. We should have been told so that we can watch the children."
Nosandiso Makao agreed. "This is dangerous - we must be told if there is cholera."
Palesa Mohale, who comes from KwaZulu-Natal, said she had learnt about cholera in school but did not know it was in the Jukskei.
"We sometimes cross the river to get to the other side and we get wet. No one told us it was dangerous - they should have warned us."
Officials from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, and the crisis team set up to deal with cholera, were scurrying round on Friday in a bid to have signs warning of the cholera danger printed and set up along the riverbanks before the weekend.
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