By Rex Mphisa
A health time bomb looms large and is ticking at Mashavira’s Beitbridge Municipality’s wholesale market commonly known as Speed.
Apart from its awkward and misfitting location, the Speed market will soon be a trigger of disease being the central fresh produce supplier in Beitbridge now contaminated by sewer.
Raw sewer flows across the market, one of the many cash cowsof the local authority where close to 1 000 people pay R30 each every day.
The sewer river rises from a perennially burst manhole across the road from Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle Houses where attention by the local authority has been so little and far apart.
“We are putting soil barriers to direct the stream away from our products, we are hopeful the officials will come early. They come early to collect our daily payments,” a woman selling water melons said.
“Its something we have got used to. If they delay coming to fix, they will still come one day, we have no power over them, we are at their mercy,” she said.
The sewer stream cuts across the tarred road branching off the main road to the border post as it meanders on its course through Speed Market.
At R30 per stall for 1 000 vendors, the Municipality of Beitbridge (MOB) rakes above R10 000 000 annually from Speed Market alone.
It makes far much more from other makeshift markets at Mbedzi shops, and the other one under the powerlines near Chikomo Bar where hundreds have stalls daily.
Little of those takings are directed to sanitary facilities at the three selling points devoid of any toilets.
In a recent interview, Beitbridge Town Clerk Loud Ramakgapola said his roads department will take care of the sewer stream and direct it under the road where its existing path has been silted.
“We are going to desilt and make sure if the sewer bursts it does not go over but under the road,” he said.
It is five weeks after he said so and the sewer continues flowing over the road.
A health official who asked for anonymity said sewage contains germs like bacteria and viruses as well as parasites and worms that can cause stomach and intestine or liver illness.
“Germs and parasites may cause diarrhea, fever, cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, weakness, or loss of appetite.
Hepatitis A can cause liver disease; symptoms may include feeling tired, having pale poop, and having yellow eyes and skin.
Roundworms which one can get from sewer exposure cause coughing, trouble breathing, or pain in the belly and blocked intestines, said the expert.
One can also get hookworms that cause rashes, stomach pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, tiredness, and anemia.