Government moves to clear garbage in capital as cholera rages

By Xinhua

HARARE: The Zimbabwean government has launched a major garbage clearance program in the capital of Harare, as the country grapples with a prolonged cholera outbreak that has been raging for nearly a year.

As of Jan. 8, the country has confirmed 1,936 cholera cases, 67 deaths, and 292 suspected cholera deaths since the outbreak began on Feb. 12, 2023, according to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The government-initiated cleanup campaign had already cleared more than 200 metric tons of garbage in Harare’s high-density suburbs by Monday, state-run The Herald newspaper reported Tuesday.

Nathan Nkomo, director of the Civil Protection Unit, under the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, said the government had to step in to clear the garbage because of the cholera outbreak.

“Uncollected waste is a serious disruption of essential services,” he said.

Harare has become the epicentre of the cholera outbreak and now has the highest number of suspected cases (6,039), followed by Manicaland Province with 5,181.

The national recovery rate for cholera patients has remained high and now stands at 96 percent. The current outbreak is not unique to Zimbabwe, as it has also affected 10 other African countries, according to the World Health Organization.