South Africa : Cabinet concerned over Zim Cholera, humanitarian situation

By Luyanda Makapela

Cape Town - Cabinet has noted with great concern the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe and the reported Cholera outbreak that has so far claimed two lives while others have been hospitalised.

A statement released by Cabinet on Thursday noted that the reported Cholera outbreak in parts of Zimbabwe was a clear indication that ordinary citizens were true victims of the political situation in that country.

"The South African Government is disappointed to note that political interests have taken priority at the expense of the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans," said Government Spokesperson Themba Maseko.

Government has called on leaders of Zimbabwe to take urgent steps to finalise the amendments to their Constitution, the allocation of the remaining Cabinet posts and the formation of a representative government without any further delay.

Cabinet has further decided that South Africa should immediately assist the people of Zimbabwe to address the Cholera outbreak while scaling up malaria control activities in the cross border area.

"South Africa is already in discussions with multilateral agencies such as Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the World Health Organisation in this regard.

"A strategy will be put in place on an urgent basis to provide assistance to the people of Zimbabwe while providing support to the health authorities in the Limpopo province (who are assisting to help treat Zimbabweans who have been diagnosed with Cholera) to enable them to cope with the similar situation," said Mr Maseko.

Cabinet has also agreed to set up an interdepartmental task team to assist in identifying and implementing measures to ensure that the reported service delivery crisis in Zimbabwe does not lead to increased cross-border movement to the health facilities in the Limpopo province that are already overstretched.

The team will be led by the Department of Health and will include the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Water Affairs and Forestry, Provincial and Local Government, while other departments will be joining the team on a needs basis.

On the other hand, the meeting noted the opportunity for South Africa to provide assistance to the agricultural sector in Zimbabwe had passed due to failure of that country's political leaders to form a representative government.

However, the meeting has decided that the approved R300 million, which was announced by the Cabinet in September, will be retained for agricultural assistance to Zimbabwe.

"This money, however, will only be disbursed once a representative government was in place and in time of the next planting season in April 2009," said Mr Maseko.

The Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Lulu Xingwana, will prepare a proposal on South Africa's contribution to address the immediate humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe.

On Wednesday, the Limpopo Department of Health and Social Development established three rehydration centres at the Beit Bridge border post to help treat Zimbabweans who have been diagnosed with Cholera and arrived in South Africa seeking medical help.

Departmental spokesperson Phuti Seloba said that two people had died of the disease at the Musina Hospital on Tuesday, where 54 other cases have been reported since Saturday.

"None of the patients are South African, but all came from Zimbabwe for treatment," he said.

Mr Seloba said the hospital was not equipped to cope with so many cases of Cholera and therefore the rehydration centres had been set up.

Wilson Dzebu, spokesperson of the Musina Local Municipality, said that they had tested all the water sources around Musina and found no signs of cholera.

"We are liaising on a daily basis with the provincial Department of Health to make sure that none of our citizens is infected or affected by Cholera," he said. - BuaNews