There has been an outcry and a sense of uneasiness at Siawoadza and nearby villages in Tshisahulu. This follows the discovery of a large consignment of potentially deadly medical waste, which included bloodied syringes, pregnancy testing equipment, HIV testing kits and used cotton wool.

The find was discovered by a passerby on Sunday, who noticed children playing at the scene and quickly recognised the items as hazardous waste. It was only a few metres away from a house, along a busy path, leading to a local hospital.

The whistleblower, who preferred to remain anonymous because of her close association with the health fraternity, said she had warned the children, some of whom were already playing with the needles. She said they suspected that local private medical practitioners were responsible as the packs did not have labels on them. “It was clear that it was not government issue medication,” she said.

Within a short space of time, many community members had gathered at the spot. The community members claim to have experienced the constant dumping of used condoms, diapers, urine tubes and lots of medicines that have already expired. In the past, residents had complained about the same kind of things being dumped close to their doorsteps.

They are now worried that children who had been spotted playing at the scene on Sunday could have unknowingly contracted a dangerous disease while playing. An angry Ms Tshinakaho Khomola, a local resident, whose son stays a few metres from the spot, said it was not the first time that they had experienced similar dumpings.

"We are very worried about the safety of our children as most of them do not even know what medical waste is. The mere fact that some were spotted playing with the used syringes is a source of great concern. Who knows, they might have infected themselves and put their lives at risk," she added.

Khomola, who said she once worked at the Tshilidzini Hospital, said she knew about the dangers of bio-hazardous waste. "This is pure murder; the person who left this here knows what he is doing. We are appealing to the powers that be to investigate this matter and to identify whoever is responsible.” She pleaded that the waste be removed before it could inflict harm on unsuspecting children.

School children who passed by were equally shocked. "We are taught at school that used needles and razor blades cannot be left where others could reuse them, as they could infect people with diseases. Whoever left them here should be punished," said one of the pupils.

An official from Tshilidzini Hospital, who came to inspect the waste, remarked: "People are really cruel. Does this person who discarded all this know how many lives he is endangering?"

Hospital spokesperson David Nemuhuyuni, who also visited the scene, said the waste did not belong to the hospital. He confirmed that it was illegal and dangerous to dump such waste in open areas. He said his institution took the most stringent measures to ensure that the public was not exposed to medical waste.

Staff from the hospital came and removed the waste, which was then taken to the hospital for safe disposal.

Well-known local medical practitioner Dr Mulingoni Makhwanya confirmed that disposing of medical waste in open areas is illegal. He said medical waste had the potential for cross-infection as children could pierce themselves. He also indicated that careless disposal of medical waste did not only endanger people, but also the environment.

"Whoever comes across the waste should immediately report it to the department of health, who has the capacity to dispose of it,” he said. Makhwanya said it was easy to trace the origin of the waste as it had a batch number that madeit easy to trace the company which had sold it and the person who had bought it.