HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Zimbabwe's new government is battling criticism over a cholera outbreak that has killed at least 25 people.

A crowdfunding initiative by the finance minister amid reports of government spending on new vehicles for Cabinet members has only swelled public anger.

Some local non-governmental organizations on Friday blamed the government for the deaths in an outbreak that is spreading beyond the capital and raising fears of a repeat of the 2008 epidemic that killed over 4,000 people.

"It is alarming and quite unusual for such a medieval and preventable disease to continue to claim such valuable lives in this day and age," said the Civil Society Health Emergency Response Coordinating Committee in a statement. It warned that government failure to "guarantee the right to health is a serious violation of both local and international law."

The government, which this week declared an emergency, has said it is committed to ending the outbreak. Health Minister Obadiah Moyo, while visiting a suburb identified as the epicenter of the outbreak on Friday, said it is not time "for a blame game."

United Nations agencies such as the World Health Organization say they have intervened to assist the southern African country whose economy collapsed under former leader Robert Mugabe, who resigned in November under military pressure.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube used Twitter to announce a crowdfunding initiative to help fight the outbreak, infuriating some Zimbabweans long frustrated by the country's currency crisis and high unemployment rate.

A health worker screens mothers and their children for possible symptoms of cholera in a quarantine area in Harare, Friday, Sept, 14, 2018, after a cholera emergency was declared following the deaths of more than 20 people. The deaths in Harare have many fearing a repeat of the outbreak that killed thousands in 2008.(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

Mothers and their babies suspected to have cholera wait to be screened in a quarantine area in Harare, Friday, Sept, 14, 2018, after a cholera emergency was declared following the deaths of more than 20 people. The deaths in Harare have many fearing a repeat of the outbreak that killed thousands in 2008.(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) </s> HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe's new government is battling criticism over a cholera outbreak that has killed at least 25 people.

A crowdfunding initiative by the finance minister amid reports of government spending on new vehicles for Cabinet members has only swelled public anger.

Some local non-governmental organizations on Friday blamed the government for the deaths in an outbreak that is spreading beyond the capital and raising fears of a repeat of the 2008 epidemic that killed over 4,000 people.

"It is alarming and quite unusual for such a medieval and preventable disease to continue to claim such valuable lives in this day and age," said the Civil Society Health Emergency Response Coordinating Committee in a statement. It warned that government failure to "guarantee the right to health is a serious violation of both local and international law."

The government, which this week declared an emergency, has said it is committed to ending the outbreak. Health Minister Obadiah Moyo, while visiting a suburb identified as the epicenter of the outbreak on Friday, said it is not time "for a blame game."

United Nations agencies such as the World Health Organization say they have intervened to assist the southern African country whose economy collapsed under former leader Robert Mugabe, who resigned in November under military pressure.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube used Twitter to announce a crowdfunding initiative to help fight the outbreak, infuriating some Zimbabweans long frustrated by the country's currency crisis and high unemployment rate. </s> HARARE - As Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s new Cabinet holds its first meeting on Monday, there have been calls for him to declare the country’s cholera outbreak a state of disaster.

At least 30 people have died and more than 5,400 have been infected since the outbreak earlier this month.

In a statement quoted by state media, local government minister July Moyo says measures need to be taken to manage the drivers of cholera.

These include Harare’s lack of clean water, dilapidated sewage systems and poor waste management.

The minister says the cholera outbreak should be declared a state of disaster.

Two more people are reported to have died from the disease over the weekend, bringing the death toll this month to 30.

Meanwhile, reports say there have been more suspected cholera infections in Bulawayo, with 10 people there now under quarantine. </s> Sixty-year-old Emma Zhakata winces, struggling to hold back tears as she relates how her husband, one of 32 cholera victims in Zimbabwe, died within hours of falling ill.

She never suspected her 69-year-old husband, Wonder Zhakata, would die suddenly after complaining that he felt weak and was suffering stomach pain.

After she rushed her husband to a clinic, he was led to a tent to wait for treatment among patients suffering from cholera.

She never saw him alive.

"That was the last time we were allowed to see him... When we called to ask after his condition, we were informed that he died of cholera," she told AFP at her home in a suburb of Harare.

"It's so scary that anyone of us can be walking now and the next moment, they are dead."

In just two weeks, the cholera outbreak gripping Zimbabwe has claimed at least 32 lives and more than 7,000 cases have been reported. The government has declared a public health emergency in the capital Harare, the worst affected area.

After her husband's death, Emma Zhakata's family had to pay officials $515 (440 euros) for him to be buried safely without the risk of infecting others.

"They did everything. We were not even allowed to do body viewing. It felt like dumping rather than giving him a decent burial," she said.

In Harare, public gatherings have been banned, street vendors ordered off the streets and people discouraged from shaking hands.

The gatherings even forced the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change to postpone a rally at which its leader Nelson Chamisa planned to proclaim himself victor of the July 30 presidential election.

Cholera outbreaks have occurred frequently in Zimbabwe's cities where supplies of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities are scarce.

But President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who succeeded long-time despot Robert Mugabe following a brief army takeover in November, has pledged to tackle the current outbreak.

In his state of the nation address to parliament on Tuesday, Mnangagwa said the government would do all it could to fight "this medieval disease".

On Wednesday he toured cholera treatment centres in Harare where patients were being treated while others lay on stretchers in makeshift wards made from canvas and plastic.

The government has said at least $64 million is needed to bring the outbreak under control.

Last week newly-appointed Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube even launched a crowd-funding effort to raise cash, publicising bank details on Twitter and appealing for donations.

Harare's mayor Herbert Gomba said the city was also taking steps to contain the outbreak.

"We are doing pipe replacement. We have de-commissioned boreholes which were no longer safe," Gomba told journalists on Wednesday.

But he acknowledged that the city was still only supplying less than a third of the city's demand for water.

"We need new water sources and it requires one billion dollars to address the water situation adequately," he said.

Residents in affected areas have criticised the official response to the spread of the infection that is passed on by bacteria and affects the small intestine.

"We are living in fear. The authorities are not doing enough," said Evans Ndoro, 48, as he walked out of a local clinic where he had taken his son to receive treatment for a suspected case of cholera.

"We have a cholera outbreak here and yet they are not offering anything like disinfectants to protect the people. They are going around urging people to use sanitisers and detergents -- but how many of us can afford those?"

And though Health Minister Obadiah Moyo vowed that rubbish dumps would be removed from high-risk areas of Harare, residents are unimpressed.

"There is lots of garbage that has gone for months without being collected in most of the affected areas," added Ndoro. "The very soil that we are walking on is contaminated but the authorities don't seem to care."

Webster Nganunu, 29, said the outbreak showed the government was failing its citizens.

"How can we have cholera in this day and age?" he said as he queued to collect clean water from a tanker in a Harare suburb paid for by a local drinks company.

"We are all living in fear... These are deaths that could have been prevented. Some people should be jailed for this." </s> The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe has risen to 25, the government said Thursday as the World Health …Read more via ModernGhana News – https://ift.tt/2p3AblC Get more World News </s> HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) – Zimbabwe’s new government is battling criticism over a cholera outbreak that has killed at least 25 people.

A crowdfunding initiative by the finance minister amid reports of government spending on new vehicles for Cabinet members has only swelled public anger.

Some local non-governmental organizations are blaming the government for the deaths in an outbreak that is spreading beyond the capital and raising fears of a repeat of the 2008 epidemic that killed over 4,000 people.

Zimbabwe Health Minister Obadiah Moyo washes his hands before entering a cholera quarantine area in Harare, Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, after a cholera emergency was declared in Zimbabwe’s capital following the deaths of more than 20 people. The deaths in Harare have many fearing a repeat of the outbreak that killed thousands in 2008.(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

The government says it is committed to ending the outbreak, and Health Minister Obadiah Moyo says it is not time “for a blame game.”

United Nations agencies such as the World Health Organization say they have intervened to assist the southern African country whose economy collapsed under former leader Robert Mugabe, who resigned in November.

A health worker screens mothers and their children for possible symptoms of cholera in a quarantine area in Harare, Friday, Sept, 14, 2018, after a cholera emergency was declared following the deaths of more than 20 people. The deaths in Harare have many fearing a repeat of the outbreak that killed thousands in 2008.(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

Mothers and their babies suspected to have cholera wait to be screened in a quarantine area in Harare, Friday, Sept, 14, 2018, after a cholera emergency was declared following the deaths of more than 20 people. The deaths in Harare have many fearing a repeat of the outbreak that killed thousands in 2008.(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) </s> THE death toll due to the cholera outbreak that has hit Harare and other parts of the country has increased to 25, with more than 3 700 people hospitalised as government availed a paltry $1 million to fight the disease.

Harare mayor Herbert Gomba and acting town clerk, Hosiah Chisango said government had availed

$1 million towards the pandemic while council has moved in to deal with sewer bursts and other public health challenges that have been linked to the outbreak.

“We are working 24/7 and our teams are working so hard to contain the situation.

We have government coming in in a big way and we really appreciate the gesture we have received so far,” Gomba said.

“We are working so hard to ensure we stop further spread of the disease and also curb deaths by all account.

We are grateful to government, our parent ministry, the Ministry of Health as well as other agencies that have come in.”

Besides government, the presidential fund also donated $100 000 towards the fight against cholera and telecommunications operator Econet Wireless also came in with $10 million.

Early this week, government declared the outbreak a state of emergency.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday called for more corporate bodies to chip in with resources to fight cholera

“Meanwhile, let me assure you the nation that the health and well-being of every citizen throughout the country will remain a top priority under my administration,” he said in Bulawayo.

“I also call on local authorities to ensure responsive, efficient and consistent waste management systems in all areas throughout the country.”

The University of Zimbabwe yesterday postponed this year’s graduation, which was set for today.

Acting Vice-Chancellor Paul Mapfumo made the announcement to graduands who had turned up for rehearsals at the country’s oldest university ahead of the graduation.

The new graduation date will be announced in due course.

However, some students who spoke to NewsDay on condition of anonymity complained over the late notice, saying they had used a lot of money to bring some relatives, with some coming from rural areas.

The Primary and Secondary Education ministry has also cancelled World Literacy Day commemorations, which were scheduled for today at St Albert’s Mission in Centenary, Mashonaland Central province, today due to the cholera outbreak.

Amnesty International said the outbreak highlighted lack of investment in infrastructure and health system.

Initial cases of cholera were reported in Gweru and Harare last month and the capital is now the worst affected area.

The 2008 cholera outbreak, which claimed over 4 500 lives, was the largest ever recorded in Zimbabwe.

“Unless urgent action is taken, the death toll of this current epidemic is also likely to be significant.

The current cholera epidemic is a terrible consequence of Zimbabwe’s failure to invest in and manage both its basic water and sanitation infrastructure and its health care system.

It is appalling that in 2018, people are still dying of such a preventable disease,” Amnesty International Zimbabwe executive director, Jessica Pwiti said.

Harare Residents’ Trust director Precious Shumba accused council of misplaced priorities, resulting in the outbreak.

Speaking during an Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) Conversations, Shumba said the existing infrastructure could no longer sustain sprouting residential areas, resulting in unending burst sewer pipes and poor service delivery.

“What we are a witnessing is a total overthrow of urban planning regulations where people are using their power to gain popularity instead of serving the people,” he said.

“The cholera outbreak that we are having right now is as a result of negligence by council.

They have failed to give protective clothing to their health workers, but you see their top management driving state-of-the-art vehicles and going on trips to Victoria Falls, yet they are not attending to the needs of the people.”

Harare City spokesperson Michael Chideme said a holistic approach was needed to deal with cholera, with all stakeholders coming on board to put measures to end primitive diseases. </s> Zimbabwe has declared a cholera outbreak in the capital, Harare, after the death toll rose to 20 and more than 2,000 people were infected after drinking contaminated water, new Health Minister Obadiah Moyo said on Tuesday.

“We are declaring an emergency for Harare. This will enable us to contain cholera, typhoid and whatever is going on.

“We don’t want any further deaths,” Moyo said after touring a hospital treating patients in the capital.

NAN reports that authorities on Monday said 18 people have died over the past week in Harare and scores fallen ill after a cholera and typhoid outbreak in some areas.

Such outbreaks are common as local authorities are battling to provide potable water and sanitation facilities in the city, where slums without running water have mushroomed and whose infrastructure is falling apart due to years of neglect.

Some suburbs go for weeks without running water forcing residents to fetch water from unsafe sources.

NAN also reports that there was a cholera epidemic from August 2008 until June 2009.

The outbreak began in Chitungwiza in Mashonaland East Province in August 2008, then spread throughout the country so that by December 2008, cases were being reported in all 10 provinces.

In December 2008, the Zimbabwean government declared the outbreak a national emergency and requested international aid.

The outbreak peaked in January 2009 with 8,500 cases reported per week.

Cholera cases from this outbreak were also reported in neighbouring countries South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zambia.

With the help of international agencies, the outbreak was controlled, and by July 2009, after no cases had been reported for several weeks, the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare declared the outbreak over.

In total, 98,596 cases of cholera and 4,369 deaths were reported, making this the largest outbreak of cholera ever recorded in Zimbabwe.

The large scale and severity of the outbreak has been attributed to poor sanitation, limited access to healthcare, and insufficient healthcare infrastructure throughout Zimbabwe. </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption More than 3,000 people have been infected with cholera

Zimbabwe has launched a crowdfunding campaign to deal with an outbreak of cholera that has so far killed 25 people, mostly in the capital, Harare.

New Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube sent an appeal on Twitter, sharing a mobile payment account number.

An emergency has been declared and public gatherings banned in Harare to prevent the spread of infection.

Some Zimbabweans have criticised the fundraising plan on Twitter, accusing the state of misusing public money.

In 2008, a cholera outbreak killed some 4,000 people and at least 100,000 people fell ill.

This was a key factor in persuading President Robert Mugabe to agree a power-sharing government with the opposition, as the government did not have the money to deal with the outbreak.

The current outbreak began on 6 September after water wells were contaminated with sewage in Harare.

Tests found the presence of cholera and typhoid-causing bacteria which has so far infected over 3,000 people, Health Minister Obadiah Moyo told reporters on Thursday.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), patients were not responding to first-line antibiotics.

"Relevant medicines should be purchased as a matter of urgency as soon as resistance patterns have been ascertained," it said.

WHO also said the disease has spread to five of the country's 10 provinces.

'Inauguration' postponed

The health emergency has forced the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to postpone this weekend's mock inauguration of its leader, Nelson Chamisa, as president.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Nelson Chamisa says he won the July presidential election

Mr Chamisa has refused to back down from his claim that he won the 30 July election, even after the Constitutional Court dismissed his legal challenge against President Emmerson Mnangagwa's victory.

The police had earlier withdrawn their permission for it go ahead, citing the ban on public gatherings imposed because of the cholera outbreak.

His party now says the swearing in will be held at a "later date".

Guaranteed healthcare pledge

The cholera outbreak can be traced to Harare city council's struggle to supply water to some suburbs for more than a decade, forcing residents to rely on water from open wells and community boreholes, according to Reuters news agency.

Health officials are advising people to wash their hands regularly, drink only safe water, wash food, cook it thoroughly and avoid shaking hands.

The government-controlled Herald reports that the crowdfunding campaign has already received some backers including telecommunication giant Econet Wireless, which has contributed $10m (£7m).

The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society has launched its own appeal.

Mr Ncube's plan has been condemned on social media:

Lawyer Fadzayi Mahere wanted to remind newly elected President Emmerson Mnangagwa of his campaign promise:

This user saw the campaign as another ploy from the political class:

While Twitter user Bruce Zvandasara said it was more worthwhile than the opposition's call for funds to pay for their legal challenge to Mr Mnangagwa's July election victory:

This Twitter user wondered why the government had the money to charter a private plane to bring back former first lady Grace Mugabe from Singapore when her mother died, but does not have funds to deal with a public health emergency:

Correction 19 September 2018: This story was amended to say that the Zimbabwe Red Cross has set up its own cholera appeal rather than contributing to the crowdfunding scheme.
The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe rises to 25. In response, the government launches a crowdfunding campaign, which has been criticized due to it being started amid allegations of misused state funds.