adminWalter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
About 35 percent of rural population in Masvingo do not have sanitary facilities and practice open defecation, an official has said.
Presenting a report on development status in the province during a provincial development committee (PDC) meeting here last week, provincial development co-ordinator Mr Fungai Mbetsa said the rate at which people in rural communities were disregarding the basic tenets of hygiene and good sanitation was a cause of grave concern. He challenged relevant Ministry and non-government actors to help in addressing the issue, saying the situation was a cocktail for disaster.
Mr Mbetsa said most affected communities were found in Mwenezi, with Bikita recording the highest number of communities with proper sanitation facilities out of the seven districts.
“About 35 percent of rural households in Masvingo do not have sanitary facilities and they practice open defecation,” said Mr Mbetsa. “This situation is bad and something should be done to address the issue. Out of seven districts in the province, Mwenezi is most affected something must be done to avert health risks such as cholera,” he said.
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