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Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak set to be 'worst ever', warns WHO as 500 people die
Mail on Sunday
December 02, 2008

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A cholera epidemic has killed nearly 500 in Zimbabwe in the biggest outbreak recorded recently in the crisis-hit country, the World Health Organisation has said.

The outbreak has affected most regions, with a fatality rate of up to 50 per cent in some areas.

The disease is easy to prevent under normal circumstances but it is being seen as a sign of the turmoil in the country that the latest outbreak has not been controlled.

Broken water delivery systems in a number of cities are forcing people to drink from contaminated wells and streams.

The WHO has reported 473 deaths from 11,700 cases. But human rights groups estimate that up to 1,000 people have died from the disease.

Cholera outbreaks occur annually in the African country, but the WHO said this is the worst since 1992, when 3,000 died.

Zimbabwean rights groups estimate that up to 1,000 people have died from the disease.

The water delivery system has broken down in Harare and other cities, forcing residents to drink from contaminated wells and streams.

The news came as a minister in President Robert Mugabe's government urged people to stop shaking hands because the traditional greeting was helping to spread the disease.

The country, once prosperous by regional standards, has the world's highest modern-day inflation, officially at 231 million per cent but estimated to be much higher with prices doubling every 24 hours.

Food is short and limits on cash withdrawals from banks mean few can get enough money to buy a loaf of bread. Power cuts are frequent.

Zimbabweans have grown increasingly angry at the collapse of the once prosperous country, where the deadlock between veteran leader Mugabe and Tsvangirai over a power-sharing deal has delayed hope of rescuing the ruined state.

The army said it was worried about unprecedented clashes between soldiers and Zimbabweans and is investigating the conduct of 'undisciplined' soldiers.

Dozens of unarmed soldiers were involved in running battles with mobs and riot police in central Harare after seizing cash from vendors and illegal foreign currency traders, heightening fears of growing instability in country.

Those are just undisciplined soldiers. As you know, we've been having deserters, who are giving us problems,' Simon Tsatsi, Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) spokesman, said.

'We are equally worried about this development, which is in no way sanctioned by the ZNA.'

Tsatsi declined to comment on the reasons behind the soldiers' actions, but added that at least six troops were also arrested for similar actions last week.

'As you know, the police remain in charge of maintaining law and order during peacetime, so we're working with them and investigating this matter,' Tsatsi said. Police were not immediately available for comment.

Mugabe's government says the health system and economy are collapsing because of sanctions imposed by Western powers it says are trying to oust him for seizing thousands of white-owned farms and redistributing the land to blacks.

His critics say Mugabe, 84 and in power since independence from Britain in 1980, has ruined one of Africa's most promising economies through reckless policies and gross mismanagement.

The September 15 power-sharing deal between Mugabe and Tsvangirai has offered the best hope for ending the crisis, but establishing a unity government has been held up by disputes over ministerial posts.

The MDC accuses Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party of trying to marginalise it in the shared administration. Tsvangirai said the opposition party would continue 'peaceful democratic resistance'.

It has also been revealed that Zimbabwe's government will defy a southern Africa tribunal ruling to stop the seizure of white-owned farms and will continue its land reforms, a state-run newspaper on Monday quoted a minister as saying.

A South African Development Community tribunal ruled on Friday that Zimbabwe's planned seizure of dozens of white-owned farms violated international law and should be halted immediately.

It said Zimbabwe, which is struggling with economic meltdown, should take all measures to protect the possessions and property of 75 white farmers who challenged the legality of a contested land reform programme, and also ordered other farmers be compensated for land taken.

But Didymus Mutasa, minister of state for national security, lands, land reform and resettlement, was quoted in the Herald newspaper as saying President Robert Mugabe's government would ignore the judgement.

'They (the tribunal) are day-dreaming because we are not going to reverse the land reform exercise,' he said.

'There is nothing special about the 75 farmers and we will take more farms. It's not discrimination against farmers, but correcting land imbalances.'

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