Zimbabwe launches cholera fundraising campaign

Zimbabwe has launched a crowdfunding campaign to deal with a cholera outbreak that has so far killed 25 people, mainly in the capital, Harare.

The new finance minister, Mthuli Ncube, made a call on Twitter, sharing a mobile payment account number.

An emergency has been declared and public gatherings banned in Harare to prevent the spread of infection.

In 2008, a cholera outbreak killed 4,000 people and at least 100,000 people became ill.

This was a key factor in persuading President Robert Mugabe to accept a power-sharing government with the opposition, as the government could not afford to deal with the epidemic.

The current outbreak began on 6 September after the contamination of the wells with wastewater in Harare.

Tests have revealed the presence of bacteria responsible for cholera and typhoid, which have so far infected more than 3,000 people, Health Minister Obadiah Moyo said on Thursday.

According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) status report, patients were not responding to front-line antibiotics.

"The relevant drugs should be purchased urgently as soon as resistance patterns have been established," the report says.

The WHO also said the disease had spread to five of the country's ten provinces.

The outbreak of cholera may be attributed to Harare City Council's struggle to provide water to some suburbs for more than a decade, forcing residents to use water from wells open and community drilling, according to the Reuters news agency.

Health officials advise people to wash their hands regularly, drink only safe water, wash their food, cook well, and avoid shaking hands.

The government-controlled government reports that the crowdfunding campaign has already received funding from donors.

These include telecommunications giant Econet Wireless, which has paid $ 10 million (£ 7 million) and the Zimbabwean Red Cross $ 250,000 (£ 190,000).

However, some Zimbabweans have used social media to denounce Mr Ncube's plan:

Attorney Fadzayi Mahere reminded newly-elected President Emmerson Mnangagwa of his campaign promise:

This user saw the campaign as another ploy of the political class:

While Twitter user Bruce Zvandasara said it was more useful than the opposition's call for funds to pay for his legal challenge of Mr. Mnangagwa's July election victory:

This Twitter user wondered why the government had the money to charter a private plane to bring back former First Lady Grace Mugabe of Singapore when her mother died, but has no funds to deal with an emergency. public health: