Poor sanitation- breeding for cholera.

HWANGE Community is appealing to the Hwange Colliery Company to improve their water and sanitation provision to starve off the cholera epidemic, whose spreading countrywide has forced Hwange to shut down all unlicenced food outlets in the mining town.

Speaking during a Cholera Response meeting recently held in Hwange, community leaders said there is an urgent need to renovate the common ablutions in concession areas.

A local religious leader Pastor Emmanuel Nkomo said the toilets in the concession area are in a sorry state.

“The toilets are unbearable, they have burst pipes and some don’t even work at all. In an event we have confirmed cholera cases, Hwange residents will be doomed,” he said.

Zimbabwe has declared a state of emergency over a cholera outbreak, Hwange has recorded 10 suspected cholera cases in the concession area.

Another, Pastor Moyo was not happy with the continued open defecation by some churches in Hwange.
“Our concern is not only with some Vapostori sects, but we have other Pentecostal churches who just feel like starting some prayer “ mountains or gomo”, where there are no toilets and it is a breeding ground for cholera,” he said.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingesting contaminated food or water. Cholera epidemic broke out in February 2023, and has since affected all 10 provinces of Zimbabwe with over 200 people having succumbed to it as it has a high fatality rate of 2.6 percent.

Public Health Officer Medicine Shonai from Hwange Colliery Hospital said the company was working tirelessly to ensure guided safety measures and reinforcing good hygiene practices within the concession area.

“We know our common toilets and bathrooms in the concession area are not in the best state, but we really are working towards improving them. We continue to commend the tireless efforts of healthcare workers, community leaders and their resilience. We are working towards the improvement of water provision in the concession area,” he said.

Shonhai emphasised that epidemics like cholera need everyone’s input.

“We need to work together, as all stakeholders and improve the sanitation in Hwange,” he added.
Meanwhile last Thursday, the Hwange Local Board closed all unlicenced food preparation outlets and those operating from undesignated areas.

The move was necessitated by the need to fight a cholera outbreak which has been reported in Hwange urban.

The ban was announced by the Acting Town Secretary Paulus Mabhureni, who said the local authority had also banned church gatherings who operate without toilets.

“We have also banned all open –air church gatherings and all worship activities at premises without ablution facilities. Failure to provide ablution facilities poses a risk to open defecation leading to the spread of communicable diseases such as cholera,” he said.

Mabhureni urged the public to exercise good hygiene practices.

“We urge members of the public to exercise good hygiene, which include thorough washing of hands after using the toilets as well as before handling or preparing food and drinking water from protected sources or boiling water before drinking. They must desist from buying food, fruits and vegetables from vendors at undesignated vending sites. Residents are also advised to seek early treatment for suspected diarrhoeal illness.

Hwange district has since activated the Civil Protection Committees with concerns of outbreak of Cholera in Hwange.

Sources close to the committee revealed that the Cholera hotspot in Hwange is Number 3 residential area.