In Zimbabwe, a deal was brokered last week to share the country’s power between the two largest political factions, the Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change. The leading faction, Zanu-PF, only agreed to the deal because of the much-disputed election results from this summer. But the two sides refuse to play nice.
Roy Bennett, a leading member of the DMC, was arrested Friday and charged with illegal possession of a firearm and other terrorist acts. He was set to take a position in the unity cabinet before he was arrested, and many people claim his arrest was politically based. He has been an opponent to Mugabe (Zanu-PF President) for many years and people believe Mugabe had him arrested to prevent him from being a part of the cabinet.
To further exacerbate the problem rumors now say the Zanu-PF are trying to set up a deal to release Bennett if the party is provided amnesty for their actions since Zimbabwe got it’s independence in 1980. Top ranking officials in the cabinet have disputed the legitimacy of these rumors, while others refuse to comment. Reportedly, Bennett has already refused such a deal.
Zimbabwe also faces a cholera epidemic that is getting worse every day. Cholera is a water-based bacterium that causes diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration, sometimes resulting in death. In the month of February new cases of cholera were being reported at a rate of one new infection every minute. The World Health Organization says cholera may only be in the beginning, fearing that the epidemic and its resultant malnutrition could lead to another infectious disease outbreak in the region.
Complicating the problem even more is the rainy season, which started in November. The flooding in the region has helped to spread the disease at a much higher rate and has helped cholera get to every region of Zimbabwe. Overpopulation and a failing sewage and waste system has left conditions unsanitary and has helped spread the disease as well.
Doctors Without Borders has gotten involved in treating the epidemic but they fear the exposure rate is too high and their response time is too slow. Visas are hard to come by and medical supplies are slow to reach the region because of the newly created political system and somehow this outbreak is being ignored. Hospitals in the region are few and far between as many physicians refuse to go to work because of overcrowding and low pay. Also, medical fees are enormous in the region and many people stay away from the hospitals for that reason. The organization is asking that all countries ignore their politics for a minute and help Zimbabwe recover from this epidemic.
Zimbabwe’s ailing economy may be the cause of this outbreak. On Friday, the UN said more than 80,000 people had been infected by cholera in the region. To solve the economic crisis Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai met with South African President Kgalema Motlanthe to discuss a recovery plan. No plan had been conceived by Friday, but Tsvangirai was quoted saying the recovery could cost as much as $5 billion.
Zimbabwe's new leaders are grappling with a massive humanitarian and economic crisis. Many civil servants -- including teachers, doctors and nurses -- have been on strike since September, demanding higher pay as Zimbabwe's currency has plummeted in value. That has caused many schools to close and exacerbated a cholera epidemic that has killed nearly 4,000 people and infected about 65,000 people since August.
I think the world needs to take notice of all the problems in Zimbabwe and the international community must come together to help those less fortunate... especially when it comes to disease. Cholera is an easily treatable disease and Zimbabwe is facing an epidemic. The country's leaders cannot help the people right now because of their own internal struggle, so it is up to the rest of the world to help out. The UN recognizes the problem such a disease presents and should collectively take action to provide medical supplies as well as emergency technicians to try to control the outbreak. Meanwhile, the unified government has to start working together or the country will fall apart. They have different ideas about what to do and how to do it, but if they cannot compromise nothing will ever get done and the country they work for will fail to exist in the future.
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