President John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania has asked Tanzanian immigration officers operating at Nakonde-Tunduma border to close entry from any Zambian citizen as a way of preventing Cholera which has stormed Zambia.
Magufuli addressed local media in Dododom saying that his government is more concerned with rampant Cholera cases that are ongoing in Zambia and cautioned that if proper measures are not put in place soon, Tanzania could become the next victim since it shares one of the world most porous boundaries.
“Let them deal with their cholera first, then we will allow them to enter our country for trade”, Magufuli told the senior TM Officers.
The cholera outbreak which started in the last months of 2017 in Zambia has since killed 41 people and a number of 136 cases are being registered every week.
Many food outlets and different institutions are being shut down to prevent the spread of the disease and registering new cases.
The outbreak is said to have been linked with contaminated water and unsanitary conditions in many parts of the country including the capital Lusaka.
In Malawi, Cholera cases have also been registered with four deaths and more than 150 people hospitalized.