Online Reporter
Fungai Lupande
Mashonaland Central Bureau
SCORES of people, including Zimbabweans, are reportedly dying in the Kwadzenga area of Mozambique following a cholera outbreak, authorities have confirmed.
The affected area lies along Ruya River, which supports extensive gold mining and has a large population of migrant miners.
Member of Parliament for Rushinga, Cde Tendai Nyabani, confirmed the development, saying he had met with Mozambican traditional leader Chief Cloudias Kira on Friday .
“The chief appealed for assistance in the form of nurses and health officials. I advised him to engage the District Administrator in Changara so that the matter can be formally handled through Foreign Affairs channels,” said Cde Nyabani.
He said Kwadzenga was a densely populated area with limited road infrastructure, and so far four people from Rushinga, including a child, have died of cholera.
“There are no proper roads in this area, which is making it very difficult for health authorities to access the affected communities and provide assistance,” he added.
The outbreak is suspected to have started during the onset of the rainy season, but residents initially believed the illness was linked to cyanide contamination associated with gold mining activities.
“A man from Nyatsato who had been in Kwadzenga tested positive for cholera and later died. Another case involved a victim from Mary Mount. Meanwhile, a woman from the same area contaminated her child, and both of them died,” said Cde Nyabani.
He said some border communities in Mozambique usually sought medical treatment in Zimbabwe at clinics in Nyatsato, Mary Mount, Mukosi and Mafigu.
However, he stressed that Rushinga District was currently not at risk of a cholera outbreak.
“In Rushinga, we are not anticipating a cholera outbreak because we benefited from the Presidential Borehole Scheme, and many villages have attained Open Defecation Free status,” he said.
