Maputo — A wave of disinformation about the causes of cholera has led to the murder of at least three community leaders and the destruction of 50 houses in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, according to a report in Wednesday's issue of the independent newssheet "Carta de Mocambique'.
There have been 14 incidents arising from disinformation about cholera in five Cabo Delgado districts (Montepuez, Chiure, Ancuabe, Namuno and Balama).
According to the authorities, most of the cholera riots were led by people calling themselves "naparamas'. The original naparamas were a peasant militia formed during the war of destabilization, and which fought against Renamo in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The new naparamas emerged in Namuno district in mid-2022, and then expanded to other parts of the province. But instead of concentrating their activities against the islamist terrorists raiding parts of the province, they turned against the community leaders, the very people in the front line of the public health campaigns required to alert the population to the real causes of cholera and other water-borne diseases.
The naparamas, the authorities say, have led violent demonstrations in which the victims have been community leaders, health workers and police officers.
At a meeting in the provincial capital, Pemba, earlier this month, the Secretary of State for Cabo Delgado, Antonio Supeia, asked for a reflection on the current role of the naparamas and their aggressive attitude.
Participants at the meeting expressed concern that the naparamas would become another focus for insecurity in the province, unless urgent measures are taken.
"At first, the naparamas were welcome', said one of the participants, "but now we see that they are a serious problem against our government'.
Another said "We cannot tolerate this situation, because tomorrow it could create more misfortune for our province'.
Supeia said the naparamas "are confronting the State when they attack police agents and community leaders, and prevent assistance from reaching the public'.
"We already have other problems, such as people who are being attacked by terrorists', he added. "The community leaders are mobilizing the public for the fight against terrorism, and we don't want another form of terror to arise'.
So far attempts to persuade the naparamas to change their attitude have been unsuccessful, and this week the naparamas paralysed the activities of the health unit in the Hukula administrative post, in Namuno district.
The naparamas accused the health workers and the Hukula authorities of using a mysterious "medicine' to spread cholera. They paralysed the health unit and destroyed the cholera treatment centre.
The Namuno district administrator, Maria Lazaro, went to Hukula - but she needed protection from a strong police contingent.
Also this week, a demonstration against the substance that supposedly spreads cholera was held at Mecorora village, in Ancuabe district, in which over a dozen houses were destroyed. The village authorities were obliged to flee from their homes and take refuge in safe areas.
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Data from the Ministry of Health indicate that from October until January, the number of deaths from cholera has risen to 25.
By 9 January, 8,878 cases of cholera had been notified. The lethality rate from the disease was 0.3 per cent.
The worst hit provinces are Tete, Nampula, Zambezia and Cabo Delgado.
A vaccination campaign against cholera began on Monday, and is due to end on Friday. It is aimed at everyone over one year of age in the districts of Chiure and Montepuez (in Cabo Delgado), Gile, Gurue and Mocuba (in Zambezia), Magoe, Zumbo and Moatize (in Tete), and Maringue (in Sofala). It is hoped to vaccinate about 2.3 million people.
