DZIMAULI – Tension is looming in the small village of Dzimauli, in Ha-Rammbudza following an outbreak of bilharzia.

A community leader, Mr Mashudu Rasila, said more than 250 pupils from Mboneni Primary have tested positive for bilharzia, after they were assessed by officials from Donald Frazer Hospital last Friday.

A spokesperson for the department, Mr Phuti Seloba, confirmed that pupils who had been assessed, were found to be affected by Bilharzia. Seloba said they were going to stage a community awareness campaign in the area tomorrow. Rasila said children from other neighbouring schools, Pile, Tshikosi, Tshavhadinda, Thovhele (all primary schools) and Rammbuda Secondary, were also affected. He added that several senior members of the community said that they were also affected.

The community is blaming the Department of Water Affairs and the Mutale municipality for failing to provide clean water, which forces them to use contaminated water from the river.

Mr Alson Matukane, from the Department of Water Affairs said, "This is an environmental disease which can be found everywhere. We supply water by trucks to the four villages of Dzimauli. This means they can only have water at certain times. This problem was caused by 2000 floods when the dam was washed away. "It takes quite a while to address the problem. Right now we are in the process of addressing that. We have been building a dam since last year. Maybe in six months, we will be through. The dam is going to supply the areas of Tshikundamalema, Dzimaluli, Tshilamba, Mukondeni, and Mafukane," said Matukane.

The problem started after the children went to the local clinic, complaining about abdominal pain while urinating blood.

A meeting was held between the School Governing Body and parents. Seven learners were tested and all of them were found to be positive. Rasila said the latest finding did not surprise him, but he said the high number of the affected pupils shocked him.

Rasila said the communities were experiencing a big problem with regard to clean water. As a result, he said they depended on water from fountains and rivers from Tshala, as well as the Mutale River.

A promise was made that medication will be made available atthe local clinic, to spare pupils from travelling the long distance to Vhufulwi.