Gauteng recorded 414 confirmed malaria cases and 11 deaths in the first three months of 2026, the provincial health department said on Sunday, warning of “alarming” increases in infections and fatalities across the province.

The Gauteng Department of Health said the January-to-March figures were much higher than the same period in 2025, when 230 cases and one death were recorded. For the full 2025 calendar year, the province recorded 666 malaria cases and seven deaths.

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It said that while the disease is preventable and treatable, “delayed diagnosis and treatment can lead to severe illness and death”.

“Recent surveillance data indicate a worrying rise in both malaria infections and fatalities, underscoring the urgent need for strengthened surveillance, early detection and prompt treatment to prevent loss of life.”

The department said the increase could partly be attributed to post-holiday travel.

“This upward trend signals heightened transmission risk, particularly in the early months of the year after the festive season, when many residents travel to malaria-endemic regions, increasing their exposure and risk of infection upon their return.”

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The department said residents must seek urgent medical care if they develop symptoms including fever, chills, headache and fatigue, especially if they have recently travelled to malaria-endemic areas such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

It also called for preventive measures including the use of insect repellent and protective clothing, saying these remain essential to reduce the risk of infection.

It said it would continue monitoring the situation closely and was strengthening public health interventions to control the spread and reduce mortality.  

INSID

Staff Reporter

Gauteng recorded 414 confirmed malaria cases and 11 deaths in the first three months of 2026, the provincial health department said on Sunday, warning of “alarming” increases in infections and fatalities across the province.

The Gauteng Department of Health said the January-to-March figures were much higher than the same period in 2025, when 230 cases and one death were recorded. For the full 2025 calendar year, the province recorded 666 malaria cases and seven deaths.

ALSO READ: WATCH LIVE: National Education Summit 2026

It said that while the disease is preventable and treatable, “delayed diagnosis and treatment can lead to severe illness and death”.

“Recent surveillance data indicate a worrying rise in both malaria infections and fatalities, underscoring the urgent need for strengthened surveillance, early detection and prompt treatment to prevent loss of life.”

The department said the increase could partly be attributed to post-holiday travel.

“This upward trend signals heightened transmission risk, particularly in the early months of the year after the festive season, when many residents travel to malaria-endemic regions, increasing their exposure and risk of infection upon their return.”

ALSO READ: eThekwini Draft Budget Sets Aside R2.1 Million for Disability Programmes, R13 Million for Dial-A-Ride

The department said residents must seek urgent medical care if they develop symptoms including fever, chills, headache and fatigue, especially if they have recently travelled to malaria-endemic areas such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

It also called for preventive measures including the use of insect repellent and protective clothing, saying these remain essential to reduce the risk of infection.

It said it would continue monitoring the situation closely and was strengthening public health interventions to control the spread and reduce mortality.  

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The City of Johannesburg has stepped up its revenue collection drive, saying on Monday that it will carry out more aggressive and frequent service disconnections against government departments and entities that collectively owe about R1.4 billion in unpaid municipal accounts.

On Friday, the city carried out a large-scale disconnection operation in the Johannesburg CBD in partnership with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), Group Finance Revenue officials, City Power, and Johannesburg Water, targeting buildings owned by various government departments and entities.

During the operation, the city disconnected water services and removed a water meter at a multi-storey building on Simmonds Street, owned by the Gauteng provincial government’s Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs department.

The property had accumulated debt of more than R677,000.

The disconnection followed a brief stand-off between private security personnel and the city’s disconnection team, which was supported by JMPD.

A few blocks away on Commissioner Street, the city disconnected electricity to a building housing the Gauteng Department of Health and other provincial departments. It said the Health Department had built up a combined municipal debt of more than R200 million.

“The City cannot continue to supply services to government departments and entities without receiving payment. We have obligations to Eskom and Rand Water, and it is incumbent upon all customers — including government — to honour their accounts. Sustainable service delivery depends on consistent revenue collection,” said Lufuno Mashau, acting group head of Joburg’s Revenue Shared Services Centre.

Mashau said no services would be reconnected to affected properties until satisfactory payment arrangements had been made and a portion of the outstanding debt had been settled.

“These disconnections should serve as a clear warning to all government stakeholders. The City is serious about recovering long-outstanding debt. We will not hesitate to extend this action to other departments — including education, public works, and even court facilities — should non-payment persist,” he said.

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The Gauteng Depart of Health (GDoH) on Wednesday rejected claims that it had failed to spend R1.2 billion of its adjusted budget, saying its latest in-year monitoring for the 2025/26 financial year instead showed it was projecting an overspend.  

The department said its Prescribed PFMA In-Year Monitoring (IYM) reports showed a projected overspend primarily linked to settling outstanding payments for medicines and medical supplies, increased demand for services across facilities, and escalating costs that exceeded the inflation assumptions used in the 2025/26 budget.

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“The Department wishes to place the facts on record to ensure accurate public understanding of the Department’s financial position and operational challenges,” it said.

“It is therefore misleading to conflate the Department’s current-year spending pressures with the underspending recorded in the 2024/25 financial year.”

The department said it had introduced corrective measures to stabilise financial management and improve compliance, including strengthened expenditure controls and tighter oversight of payment processes.

“It is also important to indicate that the Department has achieved 79% and 80% respectively in both quarter 2 and 3 on payments to service providers within 30 days,” GDoH said.

It said it remained committed to restoring financial discipline, strengthening accountability and prioritising healthcare delivery, infrastructure and staff support.

“We will also continue to engage constructively with oversight bodies and stakeholders to address systemic issues and to ensure that public health services are delivered sustainably and in the best interests of the residents of Gauteng.”

The Democratic Alliance’s health spokesperson, Jack Bloom, disputed the department’s handling of the figures, and said it was masking the true state of its financial affairs.

Bloom said the department had used “accounting tricks” to obscure its financial position.

“Their financial situation is so serious that National Treasury has written to them to provide reasons why they should not be put under administration,” Bloom said.

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He said that as of 26 January, he was projecting underspending of R725 million in the 2025/26 financial year, which ends on March 31.

“This is according to the Gauteng Finance and Economic Development Department in an official written reply to DA questions,” Bloom said.

“National Treasury has only approved a conditional rollover of R261 million of the unspent funds, so R463.5 million will be returned to Treasury.”

He criticised the underspending while hospitals deteriorate, vacancies go unfilled, suppliers remain unpaid and equipment shortages persist.

“It is shameful that the GDoH is plagued by poor financial management and has not had a permanent Chief Financial Officer for more than three years,” he said.

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