Polokwane - The Limpopo River has been contaminated with cholera, and the local health department has warned people not to use the river water at all.
Farmers with irrigation farms on the river are extremely worried after the water tested positive for cholera.
Limpopo health department spokesperson Phuti Seloba said tests done on the water on Monday showed that it was definitely tainted with the disease. A serious outbreak of cholera in Zimbabwe recently spread to South Africa's northernmost province.
The cholera is believed to have spread to the Limpopo River water when sick Zimbabweans swam across the river to look for help in South Africa.
Marie Helm, regional manager for agricultural union TAU SA, said the contamination had enormous consequences. Many farmers used water from the river for irrigation of mostly vegetables.
Musina residents were reassured that their town drinking water would not be affected by the contamination. Wilson Dzebu, spokesperson for the Musina municipality, said the town water came from the Limpopo River but was purified properly.
Seaparo Sekoati, MEC for health in Limpopo, broadcast several message about preventing cholera on local radio stations.
Zimbabweans treated in Musina
Meanwhile several Zimbabweans with the disease lay under trees in Musina while their IV drips hung from tree branches.
They are being treated in tents at the Musina hospital but due to the searing heat in the border town, it is much cooler under the trees than in the tents. The temperature during the day is 35°C and even higher.
The disease claimed another victim when a 64-year-old Zimbabwean man died on Monday afternoon in one of the tents at the hospital, said Seloba.
This has brought the cholera death toll to seven since the middle of November.
3 Opinion(s):
Something about chickens coming home to roost...
Now we have the results of the brilliance of Mbeki's " Silent Diplomacy ".
When left to their own ability it soon comes appearent that Blacks just cannot organise and maintain
even a simply functioning nation state.
If any White guy notices this fact and god forbit even spells this out he is immidiatly branded a racist.
This was always my biggest worry about WHERE in SA our independent Republic should be! In EVERY debate on the matter I recommended an area including a major mountain range including the River Sources. My biggest problem with places like Orania, is that all it takes is a Cholera-infected Sotho to crap in the River as it passes through his Republic, and we are stuffed!
Eastern Cape west of the Fish MUST be included in our future State, as the Hottentots will have the Western Cape between the Langeberge and the Indian Ocean!
Thankyou
Post a Comment