Whither war on cholera

. . . as food vendors defy orders to stop selling unhygienic foods

EUGENIA MADHIDHA

THE cholera pandemic continues to cause untold suffering to wananchi through out the country despite concerted efforts by the authorities to curb the social anomaly. If reality on the ground and recent figures on reported and recorded cholera cases are to go by, then there is no light at the end of the tunnel as the disease is spreading like veld fire.

The coming in of the rain season, coupled with the general populace’s lack of hygienic consciousness has been blamed for the ever increasing number of cholera cases recorded through out the country.

Though no latest updates on cholera cases could be obtained by the time of going to press, statistics availed last week revealed that Dar es Salaam Region had a total of 211 cases that had been reported so far.

Temeke District was said to be having the highest number of reported cholera cases where 73 had been recorded while Kinondoni District had 68 and Ilala had 70.

Contacted for comment then, the Acting Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Evance Balama, said: “I want to remind people to observe hygiene especially when preparing food as city executives are working on modalities to bring awareness to the public on the disease.”

The RC also expressed fear that city executives are taking bribes as they were ignoring an order he issued earlier banning all food vendors preparing and selling food in open and unhygienic areas, instructing the city authorities to descend on them.

According to the order, all vendors operating from unhygienic areas were supposed to stop their business or face legal action. This was so because they were blamed for fueling the spreading of cholera.

The RC’s fears were confirmed by Ilala municipal authorities recently who admitted the presence of bribery and corruption amongst city executive officers and city militia when it comes to an exercise of removing food vendors operating in open and unhygienic areas.

This was confirmed by the Ilala Municipal Director, Gabriel Fiume that it was true that some militia are involved in such acts.

According to him, it is difficult for the exercise to be implemented at once because of these problems so in a bid to curb bribery, city militia men were now deployed on rotational basis, saying that no militiaman will be assigned to work in one place for more than one week.

“The reshuffle system will help given the fact that vendors do not develop friendships with militiamen and thus cannot create any chance for her/him to be bribed,” he said.

Despite all these efforts and laxity by city authorities in as far as dealing with cholera is concerned, reality on the ground shows that the war against the disease is far from being won. A visit by this reporter in Temeke District, one of the most affected districts in this region reveals that city fathers still have a lot of work to do.

The situation in Tandika is pathetic to say the list. Food vendors openly and continue to sell food under unhygienic environment despite the order. In separate interviews with this reporter, vendors in Tandika said they have no other source of income and life is difficult so they will continue to risk and defy the order in order for them to feed their families.

“We are aware that there is an order banning us from selling food items in open areas, but, if we are to abandon this business then what will we do? We have hungry mouths to feed at home, so if they want us to stop this then they should give us hygienic places to do our business,” said a sugarcane vendor who requested anonymity.

The situation at Mwembe Yanga was not pleasing also as vendors were operating near pools of dirty rainy water mixed with garbage. On the near side is a fried chicken vendor whose operational environment leaves a lot to be desired. Other vendors could also be seen, crowded at the same area selling different types of foodstuffs such as mangoes, oranges, sugarcane and many other types of foods.

The busy area, which also operates as a bus stand, is in a sorry state and food vendors there became suspicious of this reporter, despite having identified herself, they were not cooperating as they thought the reporter was one of the council officials who had come to implement the ban. However, they confirmed being aware of the ban but could not shed more light on their defiance.

At Yombo Kilakala and Vituka areas the situation wasn’t any better. The situation is worse in this godforsaken area where women in these suburbs prepare and sell different kinds of foods such as chapatti, mihogo and mandazi just but to mention few by the roadside where the environment they prepare food is not hygienic at all. Their wares are not covered and dust from the passing vehicles quickly settles onto the food, not to talk about swarms of flies that will be feasting on the food.

A look at meat vendors especially those selling chicken pieces, is not pleasing. The meat is exposed both to dust and flies to an extent that it needs people with stronger hearts to buy and worse still cook and eat. Asked why they continue defying an order banning them, some professed ignorance while others cited economic hardships as their main reasons.

With no solution in sight for the problem of unhygienic foods being sold on our streets, then the problem of cholera is here to stay. It remains true that with the global economic recession taking its toll on ordinary citizens, then they wouldn’t let go their sole source of income without a fight or resistance, making the job of city authorities to clear the streets of unhygienic foods an insurmountable task.

As long as no solution is found for the problem of food vending, with vendors continue to defy orders to stop selling from unhygienic places, then winning the war against cholera will just but remain a dream.

Ends.