HARARE - Inhlanganiso yeCommunity Working Group on Health ithi kubi kakhulu ukuba eleZimbabwe liqhubekele phambili lilwisana lomkhuhlane wohudo ngoba kawusavamanga kangako kwamanye amazwe.
Okwamanje kulabantu abalitshumi lanye – 11 abalaliswe ezibhedlela ezitshiyeneyo eZimbabwe ngenxa yomkhuhlane wohudo. Abagulayo basezibhedlela ezibalisa iBeitbridge District Hospital esabelweni seMatebeleland South, eMasvingo General Hospital lezinye. Umqondisi wenhlanganiso le, uMnu. Itai Rusike, uthi umkhuhlane lo umemetheka ngenxa yokusilela kwamanzi ahlanzekileyo, ikakhulu emadolobheni amanengi okungasatholakali amanzi abulala igciwane le-cholera.
“Eminye imizi iqeda amaviki ambalwa kumbe izinyanga ingelawo lawo manzi. Ngenxa yalokho ke abantu basuka badinge ezinye indlela zokuthi bawathole lawo manzi, esikhathini esinengi bewathola emithonjeni engatshoniyo njalo engavikelekanga.”
Uhulumende uthi lanxa sezikhona izehlakalo zabatholakala belomkhuhlane wohudo, seliphansi kakhulu inani lalabo ababanjwa ngumkhuhlane lo emaphandleni lasemadolobheni. Lokhu kuvezwe ngumphathintambo wezokukhitshwa kwemibiko, uNkosikazi Monica Mutsvangwa, ngesikhathi esethulela intathelizindaba okukhulunywe edale labaphathintambo bakahulumende.
UNkosikazi Mutsvangwa uveze ukuba uhulumende uselemali edlula kancane izigidi ezingamatshumi amabili – $24 million yokulwisana lomkhuhlane wohudo elizweni.
“Iqula labaphathintambo lazisa uzulu ukuthi abaphathintambo bezabelo kanye lamathimba abo, bazoqhubeka beseseka imisebenzi yokulwisana lokumemetheka kwe-cholera. Kukhangelelwe ukuthi abakhokheli bomphakathi labezombusazwe balusekele kakhulu uhlelo lokulwisana lomkhuhlane wesihudo seCholera ngokusebenzisa inhlelo zokulimukisana.”
Izakhamizi emadolobheni zithi ukusilela kwamanzi yikho okubangela ukuqhamuka komkhuhlane wohudo. UMnu. Philimon Masina ngesinye salezi zakhamizi.
“Umkhuhlane weCholera usungani ulokumemetheka elizweni lonke, nxa sikhangele koBulawayo lakho yikho lapho othola ukuthi kulamalokitshi amanye asele more than amaviki amathathu engela manzi. Lokhu sokungenza umkhuhlane lo umemetheke kakhulu.”
UMnu. Effie Dlela Ncube, okunhlanganiso yeNational Consumer Rights Association, uthi kuyinto edanisayo ukubona lumkhuhlane uqhamuka okungapheliyo eZimbabwe.
“Umkhuhlane wohudo sulokhu uqhubeka usiba yinkinga elizweni umnyaka lomnyaka, iminyaka yonke nje. Abantu bayafa emakhaya lasedolobheni, imbangela ngamanzi angahlanzekanga, imbangela yikuswelakala kwama-toilets asebenza ngendlela efaneleyo esithi ngesikhiwa yi-sewer system.”
UNcube uthi kuyadingeka ukuba kulungisiswe lokho okubangela umkhuhlane lo.
“Kulungiswe izinto zonalezo eziyizo eziyinkinga, kube lamanzi ahlanzekileyo, kube le-sewer system, ama-toilets asebenza kahle, izibhedlela lazo zosebenze ngendlela efaneleyo. Ngaleyo ndlela sizakwazi ukulondoloza sivikele impilo zabantu.”
Abogatsha lwezempilakahle bathi okwamanje kulabantu abangamakhulu amane - 400 abacatshangelwa ukuba babanjwe ngumkhuhlane lo. Lumkhuhlane uqhamuke eZimbabwe mhlake 12 kunyanga kaNhlolanja edolobheni leChegutu, esigabeni seMashonaland West.