Blantyre city council has today, Thursday 11 January issued a statement indicating a ban on vending of ready to eat foods around the city of Blantyre due to cholera outbreak.

A statement released by The Chief Executive Officer for the council, Dr Alfred W.D Chanza indicated that all ready to eat foods such as cooked or roasted maize, thobwa and etc have from today been banned until further notice.

“Blantyre City Council would like to inform its residents and the general public that sale or offer for sale of ready-to-eat foods such as cooked or roasted fresh maize, mandasi, cooked cassava, potato, sweet beer (thobwa), etc, is banned in the City of Blantyre with immediate effect following the Cholera outbreak in some parts of the country,” reads part of the statement.

The statement further states that the council shall confiscate and destroy such foods if one is caught selling as with the provisions of local government Act and public Health Act.

The cholera outbreak which started in November last year has since killed four people and more than 150 have been hospitalized in various parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the general public has been urged to observe personal and food hygiene as precaution measures to stay away from Cholera.