VHEMBE. – The Department of Health and Social Development in Limpopo is collaborating with the Zimbabwean government to curb a cholera outbreak in the region.

This is according to Phuti Seloba, the spokesperson on cholera issue for the South African Department of Health.

Seloba says the collaboration started last month following a cholera incident which was linked to a Zimbabwean national who was staying in one of the shelter centres in Musina, Nancefield.

According to Seloba, the man came from Lindela Detention Centre were he was deported to Zimbabwe before he came back to South Africa last month.

“We traced all his movement where we managed to curb the cholera virus and manage the situation.  We did this with the help from the Zimbabwean government, Vhembe District Municipality and Musina Local Municiplaity,” says Seloba.

During Easter, Seloba says they were involved in an awareness campaign where they distributed flyers in the Musina area to educate people about cholera.

A centre has also been established in Musina where the two countries, Zimbabwe and South Africa, will be able to help each other to avoid an outbreak from either side as there is a regular flow of people who cross the Beitbridge border from both sides on a daily basis.

“I can confirm that we ran a joint operation and have been able to manage this outbreak. However, we are not going to rest and will continue to do our best to make sure that there is no other outbreak,” says Seloba.

Seloba says there was another outbreak at Mokgalakwena River and the community there was educated on how to protect themselves from being infected.  People who use water from a potentially dangerous water source are advised to boil the water before use.

He says there was also another report of cholera outbreak at Tubatse, but it was a false alarm.

Ndivhuwo Musetha is an OurHealth Citizen Journalist reporting from the Vhembe health district in Limpopo