Cholera

From SWradioafrica

At least nine residents of Harare’s Chitungwiza Township are believed to have died this week after a deadly cholera outbreak in the community – with unconfirmed reports claiming the death toll is closer to 20 people.

The outbreak, which is believed to have first struck on Monday, comes after weeks of increasing numbers of cases of serious diarrhoea reports across the city, as a result of a failing clean water system and numerous sewage spills that have contaminated Harare’s water reservoirs.

The deaths have prompted the Combined Harare Residents Association to lash out at the government as well as the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA). The Association has also demanded that the city’s water and sewer reticulation services be handed over to the Harare council, saying ZINWA has failed to address the crisis. In a statement released by the Harare Residents Association on Friday, the group said, ‘the decision by the previous cabinet to authorise ZINWA to take over water and sewer reticulation services from the city councils was not only irresponsible, but also reckless.’...