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Uncollected garbage piles in Gweru’s city centre. The City of Gweru has declared an outbreak of typhoid following the death of people

The Gweru typhoid death toll has risen to eight and the cumulative total of suspected cases has increased to more than 1 500. Government and Gweru City council responded swiftly to the typhoid outbreak and set up treatment centres especially in Mkoba suburb which is the worst hit and where deaths have been recorded.  

Government is also providing water treatment pills to residents. In order to address the problem of manpower shortage, Government has mobilised health workers from other districts to beef up staff at council and Government health institutions.

The worst affected are residents of Mkoba Villages 15, 18, 19 and 20.  Gweru Town Clerk Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza said boreholes in the affected areas have been classified as dangerous because their water is contaminated but the Minister of Health and Child Care Dr David Parirenyatwa said even the city’s tap water is not safe for drinking hence Government decided to give all residents water treatment pills.

The council as part of its efforts to fight the typhoid outbreak wants to clear the city streets of vendors. On Tuesday council asked for police reinforcement after vendors refused to leave the streets. Business came to a halt in the Central Business District between 11AM and 3PM as police and vendors fought running battles.

Some retail outlets were forced to close as vendors pelted the police with stones and other objects. They also threatened to torch the police vehicles. The council and the police said they had engaged the vendors to explain the reasons behind the council move and that council had provided designated places where they should operate from.

It is unfortunate that vendors seem not to appreciate the gravity of the typhoid outbreak which has since claimed eight lives. The council is trying to control the spread of typhoid and it can only succeed with the co-operation of Gweru residents.

Residents should assist in maintaining high hygienic standards and this cannot be achieved as long as illegal vendors remain on the streets selling foodstuffs at undesignated points. We want at this juncture to appeal to Gweru vendors to co-operate with council and move to designated selling points.

Council on its part should ensure it establishes adequate selling points for the vendors.

The residents  should ensure they maintain high hygienic standards and should seek treatment early if they suspect they have typhoid. The long term solution to challenges facing Gweru is to ensure that all the suburbs have adequate water supplies all the time.

The city’s water pumping capacity is failing to cope with demand for water because the system has not been expanded to meet the increased population.

The city’s suburbs have increased over the years but there has not been a corresponding expansion of the city’s water pumping capacity.

The council should therefore urgently address this shortcoming which is putting the lives of residents at risk.