Brighton Chiseva
ZAKA –While the country is battling with the measles outbreak and has embarked on compulsory vaccination of children between the ages of six months and 15 years, the Johanne Marange Apostolic Sect in the district is giving health authorities a torrid time as they refuse to let their children get vaccinated leading to a number of deaths related to the killer disease.
The sect members in Zaka are alleged to be violent saying they are the ones who voted Zanu PF into office so they cannot be forced to get their children vaccinated threatening not to vote for Zanu PF if government forces them to embrace the vaccination blitz.
Sources who spoke to TellZim News said police had to be called in to intervene after a series of deaths in Headman Madzivire area of ward 18 in Zaka Central constituency.
Three villages namely Kwangwari, Matariro and Mahlaule are reported to have recorded a higher number of the sect members and that’s where a number of deaths were reported.
A team of health personnel with the aid of members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) were deployed in the area last week but could not vaccinate many since most of the kids were sent into hiding after their parents learnt of the visit by the team.
Ward 18 councillor Daniel Mativenga confirmed the incident and said the vaccination exercise had helped as there were no longer reports of deaths.
“We were receiving reports of deaths mainly in the three villages though we could not really ascertain the cause of death. However, after the visit by the health personnel, the reports have decreased and we think it yielded some positive results,” said Mativenga.
Close sources said the District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr Mutero Mupereki was tipped and he roped in Zaka police and raided the area last week.
Dr Mupereki could neither confirm nor deny the incident as he referred all questions to Masvingo Provincial Medical Director Dr Amadeus Shamhu.
A source who spoke anonymously said the villagers (Mapositori) even threatened not to vote for Zanu PF.
“They were violent when the vaccination team arrived. Some were even saying they are the ones who put President Mnangagwa in office and he knows that they do not take medication. They went on to threaten that if they are forced to do so, they will withdraw support for the ruling party,” said the source.
Contacted for comment, Zanu PF provincial chairperson who is also MP for Zaka North Robson Mavhenyengwa said he was not aware that the apostolic sect were hiding behind the party’s name saying the vaccination programme had no political connotations and everyone in that age group is supposed to be vaccinated.
“I have not received that information that there are people hiding behind our party’s name. Everyone should be vaccinated and even the bible talks about the existence of clinics where the Good Samaritan took the injured person, so despite one’s religion or church, all those in that age group to be vaccinated should do so. I will engage other stakeholders and see what we can do to help in that area so that children are vaccinated,” said Mavhenyengwa.
The measles outbreak that began in Manicaland province where the same Apostolic sect declined to embrace vaccination has seen more than 600 children succumbing to the deadly disease nationally while the province tops in statistics.
