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Leonard Ncube, [email protected]

CHOLERA cases continue to rise in Hwange in Matabeleland North with 100 new cases recorded on Wednesday bringing to 137 the total number of cases reported in the province since the outbreak.

Government has since called for collaboration of all stakeholders to partner with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to mobilise resources to contain the outbreak as cases jumped to 137 in the province which had six cases a fortnight ago.

As the country recorded 322 new cases on Wednesday and five suspected deaths, 97 of these were from Hwange where two suspected cholera deaths were also reported.

Lack of clean running water, use of public community toilets by residents and general lack of cleanliness have been identified as key drivers for cholera in the coal mining town.

Authorities in Hwange have responded by clearing vendors from the streets but the issue of sharing toilets and lack of running water remains an issue as most suburbs in the Hwange Colliery Company concession areas use the bucket system to flush toilets.

Most of the time water is opened before sunrise for cleaners to clean the public toilets and throughout the day residents will be using the toilets without running water until the next morning.

Permanent Secretary for Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ms Sithandiwe Ncube urged the local authorities in Hwange to urgently come up with recommendations to address the water situation.

“We had a meeting where various stakeholders including the private sector and non-governmental organisations attended so they can chip in and help the Ministry of Health and Child Care. The challenge seems to be lack of resources to attend to cases and we have appealed to partners to assist with resources so that the ministry can trace cases and the local civil protection unit to step up awareness campaigns,” she said.

“So for Hwange what we are waiting for is for the local authority to come up with recommendations so that we have a solution to the water problems. We have called for collaboration of all stakeholders on the issue.”

Ms Ncube implored residents to adhere to health practices such as washing hands with running water and soap and avoid eating cold food especially from unhygienic places.

She said all districts in the province have been ordered to be on alert, with Binga and Hwange specifically targeted because of proximity to the border with Zambia where there is an outbreak.

Ms Ncube said the province had alerted the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works about the situation and all institutions are on alert.

“We have asked for engagement with border authorities so that we monitor movement. We can’t restrict people from moving, but we need to come together as different stakeholders and fight the disease,” she said.

“So, we need thorough awareness at the border targeting travellers and our simple message is lets be clean. We have said let’s stop selling foodstuffs on the streets and all street vending on food be stopped for now.”

Health authorities are concerned about prevalence of diarrhoea cases that continue to present at various health facilities especially across Hwange District including in Victoria Falls.

There are no cholera cases in Victoria Falls yet as all the suspected and confirmed cases are in Hwange town mostly in Number 2 and Number 3 where residents share communal toilets which have no running water and use the bucket system for flushing.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care has called for improvement of water, sanitation and hygiene (Wash) facilities to help prevent spread of the disease whose management lies mostly in practicing hygiene.

In Victoria Falls, while residents last week concurred on the need to engage Government authorities on the need to temporarily stop Zambian hawkers from freely trading in the resort city and restricting movement of foodstuffs, there has bene no change as the illegal traders from the neighbouring Livingstone city continue to freely sell on the streets.

Zambia is also battling its worst cholera outbreaks.

Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo said efforts are being made to ensure residents have clean water.

“We understand the situation in Hwange is a result of a pipe damaged by rains hence water is opened for a few hours only. As Government and Matabeleland North we are engaging through Zinwa to put bowsers and Jojo tanks so that there is water even when the systems down,” he said.

“We also have a challenge with open borders hence people should be conscientised at the border.”

As of Wednesday, Zimbabwe had recorded 20 446 suspected cholera cases, 2 324 of them confirmed, 71 Confirmed deaths and 381 suspected deaths and 19 711 recoveries.