Probe continues into death of 78 children

The Departments of Health and Water Affairs are still collecting door to door information on the outbreak of diarrhoea in the province which cost 78 children's lives, the Eastern Cape provincial government said.

Spokesperson Papama Mfenyana said the province was still waiting for information from the team on the ground. "I cannot give a figure on deaths because I'm still waiting for an update," he said.

In April, reports emerged that 78 children from Eastern Cape towns of Barkly East, Maclear, Sterkspruit and Elliot had died as a result of diarrhoea allegedly caused by contaminated water.

An official health report, tabled at a closed council meeting last month, indicated there had been a breakdown in a water purification works in October last year.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for the immediate release of the report on the diarrhoea outbreak. In a joint statement DA's spokesperson on health, Mike Waters, and spokesperson on water affairs and forestry, Mpowele Swathe, said an emergency team should be sent into the province to restore water quality and oversee emergency health care.

Swathe called for the suspension of the officials from both departments. - Sapa