A total of 123 babies died in the Ukhahlamba region in the first three months of this year, the DA's Eastern Cape leader said at a DA Youth Conference in Uitenhage on Saturday.

Delivering the keynote address, Athol Trollip said this was not as a result of a natural disaster or catastrophe as was the case in Myanmar, but because of the absence of systems that would have led to the prevention of the deaths.

He said when it was noted that 22 babies had died in January at Sterkspruit he would have thought an early warning system would have alerted the authorities to the fact that something was wrong that required an immediate intervention, but this did not happen.

As a result, Trollip said, more babies died "because the ANC government does not care as they are poor and black and it therefore doesn't matter".

The Bhisho Legislature's health portfolio committee visited the area last week and was informed that 123 babies had now died, Trollip said, adding that officials of the Eastern Cape Health department were compiling a report on the matter that would be submitted to Health MEC Nomsa Jajula.

Trollip said the DA was "investigating if we can charge those responsible officials for criminal negligence. If the government won't take action against its officials we are going to court."

Briefing the provincial cabinet recently, Jajula said a report had been compiled based on various investigations by the district municipality, plus the provincial and national departments of health and the department of water affairs and forestry (DWAF).

A consolidated final report inclusive of all the matters relating to the baby deaths would be forwarded to the MEC for health and Premier Nosimo Balindlela after all the causes of the baby deaths had been examined.

Jajula said at the time that the district municipality was working with DWAF and the department of public works had ensured chlorination of all water services that were subject to treatment - an emergency upgrade of water treatment works in Barkly East.