Zimbabwe’s Cholera Numbers Decreasing
It looks like the cholera epidemic that has been devastating Zimbabwe for months has passed its peak, according to the World Health Organization. In the most recent numbers, the number of new cases dropped to 2,000 a week in middle of March, reports the BBC. Earlier in the month, there were 3,800 new cases a week and there were 8,000 cases a week in February. “The situation with the current cholera outbreak is improving. …The overall trend over the last two months is of a decreasing number of cases and deaths,” the health organization said. But the weekly data aren’t always exact, WHO says, and the country’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said that the numbers were most likely a huge underestimate, reports the BBC. In addition, while the numbers have decreased nationwide, the number of cases in the capital, Harare, has been increasing. “The risk of the outbreak restarting in those areas of the country is real,” the report said. Since the start of the epidemic last August, there have been more than 90,000 cases of cholera in the country. About 4,000 people have died from the water-borne illness. 

Mandela’s Ex Can Run for S.A. Parliament
Even though she was convicted of fraud, Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife, Winnie Mandela, is eligible to run for a spot in South Africa’s Parliament during next month’s elections, officials ruled. Her opponents had argued that the nation’s constitution prevented her from running because of her conviction. But her party, the African Nation Congress, contended that since she was never actually sent to jail, she’s still eligible. And South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission agreed. The Constitution says that anyone who is “sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine” cannot serve in Parliament until “five years after the sentence has been completed,” reports the news service. Winnie Mandela got a three-and-a-half year sentence in 2004 for the charges, but it was suspended for five years. Critics have argued that even though the sentence has been delayed, it’s still active. The commission has stood by its ruling stating, “The candidate is not disqualified from standing as a candidate in the election of April 22, 009. The objection is accordingly dismissed.” The opposing party, the Democratic Alliance, is waiting on further explanation before planning their next steps, reports the BBC.

TAGS: African National Congress, Cholera, parliament, Winnie Mandela, Zimbabwe

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