Serious cholera outbreak in Murehwa

By Violet Gonda
7 April

Five schools were forced to close early in Murehwa last week due to an outbreak of Cholera. It’s reported that the situation is so serious that roadblocks have been set up as spot checks on vehicles in order to avoid any produce leaving the area and spreading the problem. Many Murehwa residents who normally sell their produce in Harare have now been severely affected by this.

A Murehwa resident Kumbirai confirmed the news that cholera is on the increase in Murehwa’s Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe (UMP) district. He said parents were asked last Tuesday to collect their children early from school due to an outbreak of the disease at Uzumba High School, Manyika and Mugabe Schools.

Murehwa has had no water for over a week and it is said this is because the local authorities have no money to replace broken parts. Kumbirai said chances of dealing with the crisis are slim as the waterborne disease is being worsened by the fact that toilets are not being flushed because of lack of water and the locals are also drawing drinking and washing water from unprotected water sources.

The resident said those affected include victims of “Operation Murambatsvina” who had their homes destroyed by the government last year. He said operation Garikai / Hlalani kuhle was long abandoned in Murehwa due to lack of building materials. “It’s a sorry state as people are living in temporary shelters made from rubble.”

The crisis across the country has resulted in many Zimbabweans abroad helping their struggling relatives back home. One of our UK listeners sent an email saying; “ As soon as I got the news of the cholera outbreak I rushed out to see if I could get water purification tablets but was told they would only work with a water purification unit. The best way to deal with the problem I was told by a pharmacist was to use iodine tablets. If any listeners can offer any advice on how best to help people in the affected areas we could perhaps mount a campaign to help by sending the required treatment tablets by post.”

Experts say the simplest way to ensure that water is safe to drink in affected areas is by boiling it and leaving it to cool.