Lilongwe city mayor Ricard Banda has ordered temporary closure of Central poultry limited due to poor hygiene at the company, saying it could fuel cholera cases in the country.

The order is with immediate effect until hygiene is improved.

Among others, the company opened a dump site at the company’s premises which is against the law.

So far, Malawi has recorded nearly 18,000 cholera cases and nearly 600 deaths since the onset of the outbreak in March 2022.

Blantyre and Lilongwe reported the highest tolls as a result of the outbreak, at 105 and 97 deaths respectively.