By Talent Gondo| Zimbabweans travelling into neighbouring Zambia have complained about the cholera screening process taking place at the Chirundu Border Post describing it as inhumane and undignified.

The Zambian authorities are reportedly testing the stool of passengers travelling by bus for cholera giving them laxatives.

This follows a cholera outbreak in Harare which has so far claimed 32 lives and affected over 7 000 people.

Passengers were reportedly given laxatives in order to produce stool although none of the samples tested produced a positive result.

Mashonaland West provincial medical director Dr Wenceslaus Nyamayaro confirmed the matter saying:

“We have received the reports of travellers being screened at the border post and we have engaged our permanent secretary (Dr Gerald Gwinji) on the matter.

The issue of people being given tablets to trigger bowel movement is a bit disturbing because we know that we cannot control cholera by shutting down the border but to encourage hygiene among our people.”

Zambia has recorded 21 cases of cholera in its capital city, Lusaka, although there have been no deaths.-StateMedia