Cholera waiting to happen
December 8th, 2008
These images were taken in Ruwa. Residents here are very worried about cholera reaching their area because raw sewage has been overflowing from manholes all over the place.
Apparently no one in the immediate vicinity of where these pictures were taken has contracted cholera yet, but three deaths were recorded a few kilometres north of the area. It’s a ticking time-bomb, and the residents know it, but can do nothing about it.
There is no municipal treated water available to them so they rely on wells dug near housing stands – alarmingly, many of these are extremely close to manhole covers.
Many household wells are very close to sewage systems
The air is thick with the stench of sewage. The problem has persisted for about three or four weeks now, with no sign of abatement. As the photographer commented, look at how green the grass is in some pictures (see those below): it is evidence of exposure to excess nitrogen.
TC Hardy High School
Some of these pictures show sewerage flowing through TC Hardy High School and Chiremba Primary School. Fortunately the schools closed on the 4th of December, so children are not being ‘educated’ in the close vicinity. But if they had still been there (and if the education system hadn’t totally collapsed already) young vulnerable people would be directly in the disease’s sights.
Chiremba Primary School
Residents are doing what they can to keep the disease at bay. The high-density area had a large pumped tank system for water that has been set up by local businesses.
Water tank set up by local businesses
The Mabvuku well is mid-way between Ruwa and Harare, and is being used by thousands of residents there from 4am until late at night – it’s a source far from any sewage leaks but under strain with the demand being placed on a limited resource.
The rainy season is starting here. It’s a mixed blessing because rains are desperately needed for crops to feed the hungry, but rain water flowing through the streets, mingling with overflowing sewage, will cause havoc to open wells that are the residents’ only lifeline to water.
December 9th, 2008 00:28
In addition to the Cholera outbreak, I understand that, to add to Zimbabwe’s woes, an outbreak of anthrax is devastating the countryside. If this is so, ideally the whole population should be vaccinated to prevent further infection, or at least those who live near to where there were infected livestook. (A man in Scotland died recently from anthrax because he brought back a drum from Africa, the hide of which contained anthrax spores which they believe entered his body through broken skin. it’s as easy as that.)
December 9th, 2008 01:24
Thank you for showing this, and now the whole world can see the effects of Mugabe rule.
Pictures speak a thousand words.
December 9th, 2008 01:47
What goies around comes around! The Lord will find a way of punishing these thieves who do not seem to care about the well being of the people they “liberated” from colonial rule.
He has already removed the savage leader of the militias while he was on his way to cause more violence in Gwanda and Bulawayo.
May he be confronted by the many people he had killed in the campaign leading to the March and June elections and the more than 500 that have succumbed to cholera.