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Cholera spread intensifies in Glen Norah
Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
November 21, 2008

The residents in the suburb of Glen Norah reported a disquieting spread of cholera in the area this week, with more than 4 people dying in Glen Norah B, as at yesterday (20 November 2008). The state-run Herald newspaper, yesterday (20 November 2008) featured an article which alleged that "cholera is under control" while people continue to lack clean tap water and to die from cholera, a bacterial disease. It is paradoxical that this mishap comes at a time when the state is desperately propagating untrue information in a bid to cover up the statistics and magnitude of the cholera pandemic.

The pandemic whose nucleus in Harare is Budiriro suburb is distressingly spreading to other neighboring residential suburbs and is also wreaking havoc across the country, thus exposing the de facto government's disaster management and preparedness incapacity and the need for help; suffice to say; the cholera pandemic must be declared a national disaster . ZINWA, the "government" parastatal responsible for water provision and sewer management has, despite the resources it received from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), failed to meet the residents` tap (clean) water demands. The "government" has also failed to timeously act on the ZINWA failure i.e. reverse the disastrous decision of the water and sewer takeover and return the management of these to the local authority. These failures, coupled with the collapse of the country's public health sector have resulted in the massive infections and deaths from cholera.

The Combined Harare Residents Association demand that the "government" acts responsibly; i.e. relieve ZINWA of the sewer and water management duties and return them to the City of Harare Local Authority. The residents cannot bear another day of ZINWA failure, "government laxity and the cholera pandemic. CHRA will continue to rally the residents around demanding, quality service delivery and a responsible leadership/government. We stand by the cholera victims and hold ZINWA and the "government" liable! The residents shall continue seek recourse for their violated rights.

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