Mbenje reopens amid cholera threats

Authorities in the lakeshore district of Salima on Saturday, reopened Mbenje fishing site on Mbenje Island, Traditional Authority Makanjira, amid cholera threats in the district.

The fishing site, which attracts over 500 fishers, has no single toilet despite being the hub of fishing activities for the people of Salima Likoma and Chizumulu islands.

Speaking during the re-opening ceremony, four months after closure, Mbenje fishers chairperson John Vumbwe said a cholera outbreak was looming because of lack of toilets.

He, therefore, appealed to the public to assist the island with the construction of toilets.

“We do not have toilets or a borehole at Mbenje. We use the same water for bathing, fishing and drinking,” Vumbwe said.

In his remarks, Salima District Council chairperson, councillor Evason Mpayani said he will forward the concerns to responsible authorities.

Meanwhile, the district is receiving heavy rainfall worsening the risk of cholera.