SEVERAL Zimbabweans trying to enter Zambia through the Victoria Falls border have been turned back after being screened for cholera by health authorities deployed in Livingstone.
Immigration department spokesperson, Mulako Mbangweta confirmed the development but could not give figures as the screening was being handled by a multi-sectoral cholera task force.
Ms Mbangweta, however, said the health officials were at the border checking on people who were entering the country and only those certified to be cholera-free were being allowed entry.
More than 500 people in Zimbabwe have died of cholera and the government there has declared the epidemic a national disaster.
Ms Mbangweta said the screening process had continued to ensure the disease was kept away from Zambia.
“Our immigration officers at the border have confirmed that health officials have been stationed at the border to check on those entering the country and depending on what the health authorities say, some people are being turned back,” she said.
A cholera task force source at the border said several people had been denied entry into Zambia.
The source also said the frequency of one crossing the border had been reduced to twice a week to avert the spread of the disease to Livingstone.
The source said in its tightened screening measures to ensure that cholera did not spread to Zambia, the task force had also confiscated uncertified food and destroyed it.
“The cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe is serious and we are not taking any chances,” he said.
He said some of the goods confiscated by the team included game meat, fruits and others that the Zimbabwean nationals carry for sale in Zambia.
He said the situation could have been more threatening if the neighboring Victoria Falls town had been severely hit by the disease, but it was concentrated in the capital, Harare, and surrounding towns.
Other measures intensified to thwart the spread of the disease included thorough hand washing by both the traveling public and the officers manning the check point.
Many Zimbabweans cross into Zambia to sell wares that include cellular phones, sweets and chocolates.
Times of Zambia
ya screem them
screen them I mean
why not send a team to help? Or better still trade our cholera expertise for their gold?
# 1 No!! Screw them!!!!!
No man is an Island.Southern Rhodesia is in trouble and wishing you all never ever bring cholera to Zedians.
Viva H H man with very good strategic plans in health Ministry
Mugabe and his ZANU-Patriotic Front are shameless. Now they are appealing for help from Britain, the same country they call all sorts of names. How shameless. Guys you mean we cant organise next saturday we start off for Zambabwe and go and physically remove mugabe from power. Who wants to be a hero?
All these outbreaks are mugabe’s inhuman thinking,no deal made sofar with the opposition,hence no gvt to look aftar health.
Those screene with the disease should not be turned back, but treat them using all what you have put in place to avoid reinfections since ther’s no outbreak in stone & you have medication at hand, use it on suspected victims,thats my appeal……
Mugabe is also having cholera
They have christened their Zim dollar as the Zim Kwacha
The Zimbabweans are also to blame. Such a leader does not even deserve 10% of votes. That run off could have been avoided.
people are feeling sorry of unfortunate zims and yet tehir fellow Zims still hail Mugabbage or sorry mugabe as their saviuor
Fuel prices have reduced to a 4 yr low, why is ours still high
#6 the Alfa Male, you are right,lets be heroes,so sartuday lets start off,have organised 2 pangas & a pisto so that we enter the books of records by removing the monster! but where do we meet?……
it is some how decriminatory. i believe zambia has the capacity to treat the sick, as a christian nation, not turn them back to go and die. very shameful for the task force and the government. STOP DESCRIMINATING YOUR BROTHERS
I feel touched because its the common people that are affected. How I wish it were the two party presidents’ families i.e for ZANU-PF and MDC. Shame on mugabe as he sticks to the throne when he has nothing to offer. this is not the time for stone throwers who dislodged colonialists by stones we need pipo who can read economies interpret and aplly it for the betterment of the citizens.
It a sorry sight for Zim
#7 and #12 I share your views. GRZ must within its power and means treat those suspected of cholera. I thought the idea of screening was to identify those with the disease, and give them the necessary treatment as this is the immediate and urgent need. Of course GRZ can’t do anything about those within Zim coz of territorial sovereignity issues but they who have made an effort to come over must be helped in every way possible with the cholera treatment. Please GRZ do not send those who approach you for santuary back to what they are escaping from. You have the capacity to help those few souls.
God Bless Zambia.
Lets remember them in our prayers. Very sad indeed.
genuine comment #15 skull & bones,GRZ has the capacity to help those who are screened & thanx for your sharing my views, am humbled.
But remember. Mugabe is on record as saying there is no crisis in Zimbabwe. Meaning even the cholera outbreak should be containable. Me, I don’t feel sorry for those Zimbabweans. Maybe it is time somebody told them that insansa kuchinjanya. There was a time when Zimbabweans treated Zambians like dogs. And now they are crawling all over the place with hunger and disease and then they remember that there are neighbours up north who have declared themselves a Christian nations and so will not turn us away. Continue screening them and if they are diseased, send them back. Is it not enough that they have increased incidences of cholera as their women sell themselves cheaply thereby making it
TOO BAD FOR OUR FRIENDS ,MAY GOD HELP SOFTEN MUGABE S HEART SO THAT THE POOR PEOPLE CAN STOP SUFERRING.
#18 continued. …almost impossible for our weak men to resist them? I mean incidences of HIV/AIDS up above. Don’t get me wrong, am sympathetic to the Zimbabweans but they must learn to respect their less fortunate neighbours before the look down on them. Life has a way of equalising scores. As they say in English, every dog has its day and now is Zimbabwe’s day.
poor mugabe, the most canning animal on in zim
pabwato
Mugabe has to be screened too. Poor people, Mugabe thought he was more clever than G. Bush. Now he is asking for help from the west.
Cholera Task Force continue screening and rapatriating all the suspects.In Egypt all new arrivals are screened for HIV and AIDS at the airport, anyone found positive is repatriated their and then. Infact one of our late ministers in Chiluba Govt was repatriated after the screening. This is how Egypt has maintained a smaller percentage of HIV and AIDS victims.Cholera Task Force soldier on, its for our own good.
Zimbabweans have never treated us right. However, Zambians are not ones to retaliate. I imagine if what Zims. are going through, if it were Zeds. going through, imweee asembe we are treated like lepers. They (Zimbweans) are all over our streets – even taking over certain jobs like kaponyaring which should be exclusive to Zambians. We have not ‘xenophobiad’ them. Just reflecting on the whole scenario.
Forgot to tag (25) as coming fro princess-y and not anonymous at all.
#6  Obviously you should meet at Mugabe’s house. If you should happen to pitch up alone without your friends to help you remove Mugabe, I tell you solemmnly, Mugabe will have your balls for dinner.
Very bad situation for our Brothers in Zimbabwe!
#15 It is refreshing to know that we Zambians have lost none of our compassion even though we pronounce so much hatred against RB.
I agree that for the Grace of our Savior Jesus Christ and the Love of God our father we should extend every help to Zimbabweans esp those identified with the disease.
We should forget all the good things we have done for Zimbabwe and the terrible things they have said about Zambia, KK and LPM. Let us help them because we are a christian nation in word and deed.
So cholera has now spread that bad. Too bad for our brothers whose government never sympathised with anyone in Zambia during the struggle. And the same guys supported aparteid in south africa by sending their people to take over posts left by South Africans in protest for the poor living inflicted by the Boers, Zimbabwens jumped for such blood money.
Only God will help our brothers indeed. God have mercy on Africans.
SO SAD TO READ…WHAT HAS BEFALLEN THE ZIMBABWEANS IS THEIR OWN CHOOSING..SHAMEFULL….HOW CAN A HAND FULL OF PEOPLE BRING THIS COUNTRY TO ITS KNEES…ONLY THE ZIMZ CAN SORT OUT THAT OLD MAN BOB.NO NATION CAN..AND THEM RUNNING AWAY AINT HELPING…IT SHOULD BE A LESSON TO ZAMBIANS…THIS IDEA OF HAVING VERY POWERFULL OLD MEN RULING…LIMIT THE POWER THESE HEARTLESS OLDTYMERS HAVE EVEN IN DEAR OLD ZED…
Most African presidents do not care for their pipo, look at Mugabe, does he really think whatever is doing is the betterness of Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans? I agree with what Archbishop Tutu has said, remove Mugabe from that position by force, he has no hearty for the pipo dying like insects, please for once listen to the common pipo. God bless Africa.
Mugabe is also suffering from Cholera.No medicine in stahouse where Mugabe leaves.Mugabe is not hero is destroyer.He has finished his country when African Leaders are just watching. Shame Africa.
If i had to wish death on someone i would wish it on Mugabe without a second thought.
THE BEST PEOPLE IN A POSITION TO TAKE BOB OUT ARE THE ZIMZ…ONE GUY SHOULD SACRIFICE HIS LIFE AND TAKE HIM OUT..KENNEDY STYLE..AM SURE HE WILL GO DOWN IN THE BOOKS AS A HERO..WHAT KIND OF A LEADER..CAN LIVE AS COMFORTABLY AS HE DOES..WHEN A FEW MINS AWAY..PEPO ARE STARVING AND DYING…WHAT EVER WITCH DOCTER HE CONSULTS..HANDS DOWN ..NI MUKALI….
Every time I read another heart-renching story about the suffering in zimbabwe and I say a little prayer to thank God for delivering us from the same fate at the hands of a certain cobra who looks up to mugabe as his mentor and is capable of commiting worse atrocities because of the limited scope of his medula oblangata…
Why screening them?? arent we in the same shoes???
I think time has come for Mugs to go.
#37 Baby c, what same shoes? You also have cholera? They are being screened so they dont enter zambia with cholera.Thats just a good idea!!!
Pa Nsaka
Has Zambia been spared from Cholera??? In fact we ve got high cholera cases compared to Zimbambwe!! Even if i have cholera, how does than concern you ??? Its non of your business!
#40, baby c.. dont get it twisted! Am just a concerned zambian, thats why i asked if u have cholera, i ‘d have helped you probably. What do you mean zambia has high cases of cholera? its never been declared a national disaster, and to be honest, i ‘ve never even seen a person dying of it. I just read that in papers. Cholera in zed is usually in far places.. and it doesnt kill as much as they are dying in zim!!!..Oh, its my business!!!!!!!
God help Africa.
Lusaka times where are my views here?if i have offended you through my article i had posted earlier say so,so that i know than keeping quite.What kind of journalism is this? if you cant have opposing views.
If they were a different race I’d say it’s racism. It’s just a way of intimidating Zimbians. whose idea was it? Britain’s Brown?
# 18, 24, 25, 30. I agree with you. Inasmuch as I sympathise with Zimbabweans I can’t forget how they laughed at us after they attained independence and the years which followed.
A cousin of mine was imprisoned bcos he had “overstayed”. He was given a 30 day visa and “overstayed” by 2 – 3 days. He was imprisoned. He served his sentenced and was deported from Zimbabwe. He reported the incidence to the Zambian immigration who were completely shocked. How many zimbabweans were in Zambia “illegaly”? Days are numbered. I hope that judge is amongst those with cholera and has been denied entry into Zambia.
Ain’t nothing wrong with that.
I grew up with a lot of Zimbabwean neighbours, and i got a good memory. Those people never used to quit laughing at us for no reason even when they used to live in Zed, just because they used to go once a year to Zim and bring back some melting chocolate. Screw them, they need to stay home till the cholera is completely done. Zed is not in the position to help coz the budget is tilt. Zed got too many issues to deal especially that the copper price is down.
Let us help mugabe kick out cholera from zim or else we will be the next victims.
# 47 I agree. Zed has it’s own challenges. We can’t sort out Zimbabwes problems. We don’t have the capacity.
Get rid of Robert Mugarbage!
The President of France Mr. Nicholas Sarkozy yesterday at a press conference which he held in conjunction with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Barrosso (of European Commission) said “Time for Mugabe to go has come”. We only hope the chap will be removed by “P” now.
President Odinga of Kenya also alluded to that – Mugabe must go.
Botswana government has long declared that they do not recognize Mugabe and his illegitimate government because it is not there. What is Zed’s stand especially after the death of LPM?
Mugabe says there is no Cholera in Zim he said it on tv the whole world heard and saw