Water supply in some parts of South Africa is under severe strain. This is mainly due to the heatwave that swept through many parts of the country coupled with an increased demand in water mainly due to the heat. Two of South Africa’s cities, Johannesburg and Pretoria, recorded their hottest day ever on the 10th of November 2015. In Johannesburg, a temperature of 36 degrees was recorded while Pretoria recorded 39, 8 degrees. The high temperatures caused a drought in some parts of the country as several water supplies were drained. Furthermore, thousands of people in Johannesburg were left without water. Businesses and residents have been urged to use water sparingly by not watering their garden or filling their swimming pools between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and also not use hosepipes to wash their cars. Residents were also urged to use water wisely when they do their laundry and cook.

In this month’s issue of Mbalo Brief, our educational article is based on the use of health facilities and levels of selected health conditions in South Africa derived from the General Household Survey, 2011 (Report No. 03–00–05) published on 16 June 2015. The article will look into factors such as utilisation of health facilities, reasons for not using the nearest health facility, access to health facilities, self-reported illnesses or injuries, communicable diseases suffered as well as the number of people diagnosed with HIV or AIDS.

Also included in this issue are our monthly articles such as the Retail trade sales and Tourist accommodation. Also have a look at our monthly crossword puzzle and solutions for the October 2015 puzzle.

Articles published in this issue are based on results of industry surveys conducted for the months ranging from July, August, to September 2015 which were published by Stats SA in October and November 2015.

Download Mbalo Brief – November 2015

For more details on any of the surveys, visit our website at:

www.statssa.gov.za

Enjoy the read.