Zimnat has set up water tanks in Budiriro, which it is filling with 20 000 litres of bulk treated water every day, as its contribution towards preventing the spread of cholera and making life better for those living in the area.
It set up the tanks at the Budiriro 5D Current shopping centre on Friday last week. It has been delivering water daily to the tanks since then. Members of the public are free to collect water from the tanks whenever they choose.
Budiriro and Glen View are the two Harare suburbs that are considered the epicentre of the cholera outbreak that as of September 20 had resulted in 5 404 suspected and 81 confirmed cases of cholera, with 38 deaths. An estimated 21 percent of those with suspected and confirmed cholera have been children under the age of five.
The spread of the disease has been attributed to the leakage of sewage into underground water, which has resulted in some boreholes becoming contaminated with the cholera bacteria. The provision of safe uncontaminated water is vital to prevent the further spread of the disease.
Zimnat group marketing executive Angela Mpala said Zimnat had decided to provide treated water to reduce the risk of people becoming infected with cholera from unsafe water, in line with its commitment to making life better for others.
“Zimnat is committed to making life better. We decided that the best thing we could do to make life better for people living in a cholera affected area was to provide them with safe treated water.
“That is why we have set up these water tanks and are providing 20 000 litres of water daily for the benefit of members of the public who wish to be sure the water they are using and drinking is safe,” she said.
“It is important we all do what we can to prevent the spread of this terrible disease and make life better and safer for those at greatest risk,” she said.
