Ngudu HIV reports shocking
THE whole of Zimbabwe was shocked by the recent media reports which revealed that one of Zimbabwe’s growth points was leading when it comes to HIV and Aids infections. We were really left without a single word in our mouth on hearing that Ngundu Growth Point which is situated along the busiest road in southern Africa was the most dangerous place as far as Aids is concerned.
The growth point is located along Harare-Beitbridge Road in the Masvingo Province and the reports said a large number of people are getting infected with the virus on a daily basis and the number is more than any place in southern and central Africa.
We feel this is giving our beautiful country a very bad image and the Government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care should do something as a matter of urgency before this situation gets out of hand. In the past we used to think that Aids was spreading at a faster rate especially in border towns such as Nyamapanda, Plumtree, Chirundu, Beitbridge, Chiredzi and Mudzi but now you would not be surprised to see that prostitution is rife even in places in the middle of the country.
After the reports were revealed I went straight to Ngundu Growth Point accompanied by my friends. We got the shock of our lives. We found that there were about three hundred haulage trucks, most of them were foreign registered trucks and they park there to pick up ladies of the night who said they were making huge sums of money every day from these truck drivers.
Prostitution is rife at the popular growth point and some ladies of the night we talked to said they had come from as far as Mberengwa and Zvishavane to rent some houses at the centre so that they can conduct their business from their houses. Some of these women said they travel with truck drivers to places as far as Tanzania and Uganda.
I therefore appeal to the Government to introduce some educative programmes at all growth points so that people may know the dangers of HIV and Aids because most people there just enjoy unprotected sex and the money they get.
The ministry must look for some funding from other countries to fight the spread of HIV and Aids because it’s very bad to hear that a growth point in Zimbabwe is leading in Africa in spreading the virus. Eddious Masundire Shumba, Bulawayo.