By AFP

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Zimbabwe on Wednesday banned public gatherings in the capital Harare following a cholera outbreak which has claimed at least 21 lives and left hundreds of people ill over the past week.

The outbreak, first detected in the township of Glen View outside Harare, has prompted the Health ministry to declare an emergency in the city.

"In light of the declaration of the state of emergency, the police in Harare will not allow any public gatherings," police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said in a statement.

"The Zimbabwe Republic Police is appealing to members of the public to take heed of the warning and cooperate as this will assist in alleviating the continuous spread of cholera."

Haven fallen ill

The ban came ahead of a planned rally by the opposition MDC party on Saturday at which it was due to hold a mock presidential inauguration of party leader Nelson Chamisa, who it claims was denied victory in the July 30 election due to fraud.

At least 21 people, including two pupils from the same school, have died over the past week in Harare from cholera and at least 3,000 haven fallen ill from cholera and typhoid, according to the Health ministry.

"We are now at 3,067 cases... The number of deaths has risen to 21," Health minister Obadiah Moyo told reporters on Tuesday.

One school was closed in Glen View.

Mr Chamisa toured a health facility treating people and called on the United Nations to help contain the situation.

Sanitation facilities

"It's more than just an emergency it is a national disaster," he said.

Britain warned prospective travellers to Harare about the cholera outbreak and urged travellers to learn to recognise symptoms of the disease.

Cholera outbreaks have occurred regularly in the city as authorities struggle to provide potable water and sanitation facilities.

Informal housing areas without running water have mushroomed and basic infrastructure has collapsed due to years of neglect.

Tests on water samples from some wells and boreholes showed the water was contaminated with cholera and typhoid-causing bacteria.

Zimbabwe, which was ruled by Robert Mugabe from independence in 1980 until his ousting last year, suffered its worst cholera outbreak in 2008.