Cholera claimed two lives in Beitbridge last week as the border town turned into a hotspot for the latest outbreak of the water borne disease.
Beitbridge district medical officer Lenos Samhere confirmed the deaths.
“One was picked up at the rank (Dulivhadzimo Bus Terminus) and the other one is a child that died at the cholera treatment camp at the hospital,” Samhere said.
A total of 173 suspected cholera cases were tested and 69 were confirmed positive in March alone.
The Beitbridge Hospital cholera treatment camp was as of Monday last week treating seven active cases outside the main 160-bed hospital yard.
Health officials have stepped up awareness campaigns and health programmes are being rolled out across the known hot-spots.
The outbreak comes at a time when Beitbridge is facing acute water shortages.
Over the last few weeks the Municipality of Beitbridge has been posting a series of apologies for poor refuse collection as well as water shortages.
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Town clerk Loud Ramagkapola blamed electricity outages for the water crisis,
Beitbridge East Member of Parliament, Albert Nguluvhe, said the municipality must step up to avert a disaster.
“We appeal to council to move in and help stop the spread of this disease,” Nguluvhe said
“Beitbridge is the face of Zimbabwe for our visitors from South Africa.
“It is our busiest border post and the death of two people due to cholera recently is worrisome.”
He added: “I am aware of nationwide electricity challenges, but I am appealing to the Municipality of Beitbridge to come up with alternatives.
“Why have they not bought a big generator to keep the water supply constant in the town?
“If the water crisis is not handled with the urgency it deserves there shall be disaster...it will spread beyond Beitbridge since a lot of travellers pass through this border town.”
Beitbridge mayor Munyaradzi Chitsunge said there were plans to use gravitation from a new reservoir to supply the entire town as electricity problems persisted.
“The good news is that currently work is in progress to couple the old system to the new reservoir and it is therefore our hope that the coupling of the old system to the new tank will be completed soon so that we will be able to supply water to our residents by gravitation," he said.
According to the Health and Child Care ministry, as of Friday, Zimbabwe had recorded 498 suspected cholera cases of which 105 were confirmed with eight suspected deaths.
Matabeleland South had the highest number of suspected cholera cases at 180 and two deaths.
