Harare hit by cholera outbreak as water woes worsen

By Henry Makiwa
14 December 2007

There are serious health fears across Harare after reports of a cholera outbreak earlier this week.

According to independent health experts in the capital, the cholera outbreak has been created by the inability of the Harare City Council to provide residents with clean water. Cholera is an extreme diarrhoeal disease whose transmission in humans is mainly by ingestion of contaminated water or food. In its most severe form cholera is one of the most rapidly fatal illnesses.

Many Harare residents have been forced to drink unsafe water from streams and wells on the outskirts of the city. Complaints also abound that the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), is supplying people with untreated tap water. The state run ZINWA took over the administration of sewer and water reticulation from the City of Harare last year.

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) says the take over has resulted in erratic water supply and persistent sewer blockages in several high-density suburbs. According to CHRA at least 2000 cholera cases have been reported at clinics around the city in the past week. They say the township of Mabvuku in the east of the city has been worst hit.

CHRA spokesman Mfundo Mlilo said on Friday: “A CHRA team visited Mabvuku and Tafara and interviewed medical personnel in private and public clinics. We also have reports from Mbare, Budiriro and Glen View townships. It has emerged that between 500 and 2000 cases have been reported. The problem of disease outbreaks comes after residents in Mabvuku and Tafara have been hit by serious water shortages resulting in most households fetching water from streams.”

Health Minister David Parirenyatwa told an online publication earlier this week that officials from his department would soon investigate reports of the outbreak, but nothing has been done yet. Mugabe has devoted more funds to acquiring military tools to suppress the opposition, rather than resolve the water crisis and the many other serious issues affecting the country.