The international labour day celebrations in Monze have been postponed following the outbreak of cholera which has since claimed two lives in some parts of the district.
And cholera cases in Monze District have risen from 28 last week to 42 since the disease broke out a week ago.
In an interview with ZANIS today, Monze District Administrative Officer Gorreti Bbalo said the labour day preparations committee decided to postpone the event after health authorities advised against holding public gatherings.
This is in order to help prevent the spread of the disease.
“As a committee, we decided to postpone the event to a later date because of the outbreak of cholera and we just hope the health authorities will contain the disease as soon as possible so that we can hold the event,” said Ms. Bbalo.
And Acting Monze District Medical Officer Wantula Sichembe said cholera cases have increased from 28 last week to 42 currently.
Dr. Sichembe explained that the disease first broke out at Chitakataka fishing camp and has now spread to other areas of the district which include Namalwo, Mulumbwa, Hankukula, Moonzwe, Bana Kaila and Nyimba.
“The number of cases has increased to 42 from 28 last week and these cases are mostly in the fishing camps,” he said.
He said the health authorities have however intensified efforts to contain the disease through setting up treatment camps in all the affected areas.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sichembe had difficulties to explain why health authorities allowed the Patriotic Front (PF) to go ahead and hold a youth rally last Friday when the district had banned public gatherings which also caused the postponement of international labour day celebrations.
“I cannot answer on that one because as health authorities we do not have a mandate to ban public gatherings per se. We just advise people to desist from public gatherings for us to arrest the cholera situation in our district,” said Dr. Sichembe.
On Friday, the ruling PF held a youth rally at Monze Town School Grounds which was almost disrupted by the United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres.
The water borne disease broke out on 22nd April 2016 at Chitakataka fishing camp and has since spread to other areas in the district.
We await to hear from one Joseph Kasonde on what interventions GRZ is instituting before lives are lost.
Pathetic, how can PF youth be holding public gatherings in the middle of such an epidemic? Authorities had banned gatherings but clearly PF are above the law. When we say Edgar has failed to provide leadership, some overzealous clueless PF cadres dispute
It was irresponsibility of the highest order on the part of Given Lubinda, Frank Bwalya & their pathetic failures to organise that rally. Their intention was that more of our brothers & sisters would catch the cholera to reduce on their numbers. Its not UPND that tried to stop them but health authorities under the able leadership of Dr Sichembe.
What is the Area Member of Parliament doing about it? Oh wait alekanda amenshi at Parliament building.
What about the schools u closed dont u think the g12 are to learn for there coming exams