By Own Correspondent| Secretary for Finance and Economic Development, George Guvamatanga, was caught napping during a signing ceremony where the African Development Bank (AfDB) availed a USD1 million grant towards fighting cholera in Zimbabwe.

The funds, set to be administered by the World Health Organization (WHO), will be used to procure and distribute emergency response equipment and supplies.

The funds are also for training of staff and volunteers in infection control.

Speaking at the grant signing ceremony, AfDB country manager Damoni Kitabire said the funds were in response to Zimbabwe’s appeal for assistance to combat the outbreak, which first broke out in Budiriro, Harare in September.

Cholera has claimed at least 50 people and infected more than 10,000 others spreading to at least 17 other districts nationally.

Said Kitabire:

“This support to Zimbabwe will complement government’s efforts and assistance by development partners, as well as the WHO, to avert a national and regional social and economic catastrophe by making it possible to prevent further deaths from cholera as well as containing its spread beyond the current affected areas.”

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube thanked the AfDB for the donation, revealing that the corporate sector in Zimbabwe had since the cholera outbreak donated US13 million dollars toward the cholera fight, with 3 million dollars being mobilized through crowd-funding.