Water shortages hamper efforts to fight cholera

By Marsha Sengwe

COUNCILS around Mashonaland Central’s erratic water supplying system across urban settlements is affecting the ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities efforts to quickly empty septic tanks at its different properties across the province in its endeavor to fight cholera.

This has been worsened by the ongoing load-shedding, which has resulted in councils’ water pumping hours being reduced.

In an effort to win, the ministry is appealing to its tenants at Government business complexes, offices and houses to capitalise on the few hours the water is being availed and fill up many containers.

The process used to empty the septic tanks commands a lot of water.
A notice to the tenants seen by Nehanda Guardian written by the provincial head of the ministry, Petros Maringe urged them to help by storing large volumes of water.
It reads;

“Attention occupants of Government housing in Bindura, we are emptying septic tanks using the honeysuckle process. The process needs large volumes of water. Due to the unavailability of water, our team cannot progress.

“I am, therefore, appealing for our valued tenants to store large volumes of water so that there will be progress.” Maringe said the exercise started towards the end of March and was slowly gaining momentum with the availability of water. Cholera cases have been increasing at an alarming rate in the province.

“We are doing this trying to combat the spread of the disease. The exercise is also meant to relieve occupants of the same properties from getting exposed to waste. “We have had challenges of liquid waste especially in Mount Darwin, Rushinga and Centenary.”

At the time of going to print, Maringe said they had covered Bindura and were in Shamva.

Cholera has of late been terrorising the people of Mashonaland Central, especially in Mazowe’s Nhano area of Glendale, and Mt Darwin and Shamva districts where more than 23 people died a fortnight ago.

By Wednesday April 10, the province had 4112 recorded cholera cases and 146 deaths stretching from March 2023. The bulk of these cases were recorded in Mazowe (947) followed by Shamva (902) and Centenary (653).

Rushinga and Guruve remain the only two districts in the province with reported figures below 100. Rushinga has recorded 44 cases while Guruve has 51 and two deaths only compared to Shamva which had 35.

Bindura has also recorded 20 deaths, while Mazowe has 21.

Rushinga recorded just two deaths while Centenary is at 27. The provincial leadership is urging people to practise highest levels of hygiene, including washing of hands after handshakes, rest room visits and before eating.