The Gauteng education department will "intensify" the supply of clean drinking water to schools in Hammanskraal amid a cholera outbreak.

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said the department was "embarking on an urgent water delivery plan" at 61 schools in Hammanskraal.

"Teaching and learning have not been affected since the discovery of cholera in the area because schools benefitted from the supply of water by the municipality. However, there were water shortages since schools were sharing with the community," the MEC said.

On Friday, the provincial health department said 21 people had died in the outbreak.

Among them was a 3-year-old child, who died in hospital last week, Chiloane said.

Two children were also hospitalised with cholera symptoms but were discharged on Wednesday, he added.

National health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said the number of patients seen at Jubilee District Hospital was around 180 and 44 cases of cholera were confirmed through laboratory testing.

A delegation, led by Minister of Health Joe Phaahla, visited Jubilee District Hospital on Thursday to monitor the effectiveness of interventions aimed at curbing the spread of cholera.

Among the delegation were experts from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and World Health Organisation, as well as senior national and provincial health department officials.