Chronicle Editor
Elita Chikwati, Mary Muradzikwa, Harare Bureau
Government has allowed Glen View 5 Primary School to resume normal lessons after its senior officials and City of Harare were satisfied with the interventions, taken to thwart cholera.
The school, which was temporarily closed following a cholera outbreak, was declared safe yesterday but authorities will continue monitoring activities there. It was closed on September 11 after it was discovered that the borehole, which was its only source of water, was contaminated.
The exam classes from grade five to seven had however not been disturbed by the temporary closure as their lessons had continued.
Speaking after inspecting the premises and seeing the different measures undertaken by the school to curb cholera outbreaks, the Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education Dr Slyvia Utete Masango said the Ministry was satisfied with the intervention measures taken at the school. “We are happy and satisfied with the measures that have been taken and pupils can start coming for lessons starting Monday. The exam classes from grade five to seven had been attending lessons but under stringent measures.
“It was mandatory for each child to bring treated water for drinking and teachers were checking to see if the children had enough safe water for drinking. Pupils were also not allowed to share the food they brought from home. Hand sanitisers were also made available to pupils so they could wash their hands. The measures that have been put in place to mitigate cholera outbreak will continue and children are being encouraged to always wash their hands,” she said.
She said borehole water was no longer used for drinking at the school but for the toilets while waiting for the results from the test on the borehole water.
Dr Utete-Masango said Glen View 5 Primary School was the only school that was temporarily closed due to cholera outbreak but no deaths of pupils from the school were recorded.
Only two parents of pupils attending Glen View 5 Primary School succumbed to cholera. She said the City of Harare and Ministry of Health and Child Care made some recommendations to the school and after an inspection, they were satisfied that the school could reopen. “These include making sure toilets were functional. The school used to rely on borehole water but now they have tanks and clean water is being brought in twice a week.
“So far one 5 000 litre tank has been installed with taps and is providing clean water twice a week to the school. The school is expected to receive two more tanks to be installed so that the local community can also access safe water,” she said.
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