14 Mar 2016

Residents of Lesoma have been warned not to consume meat from livestock that has died from unknown causes.

Addressing the residents in a kgotla meeting recently, the principal veterinary officer in the Department of Animal Health and Production, Dr Waweru Muchina warned that some illnesses could be transferred from animals to human beings.

“It is too risky to consume meat from such animals and no one should be found selling such to residents without the kgosi’s permission,” he said. Dr Muchina was responding to Kgosi Lesoma Lesoma’s complaints that some residents were selling meat from animals that had died of unknown illnesses.

As a result, Kgosi Lesoma said he was concerned about the safety of consuming such and the health implications that could be incurred as a result of that. Dr Muchina also warned residents to use proper toilets to reduce the spread of measles as cattle feed on human waste.

“Government spends around P23 million to combat measles yet we are failing to control it,” he said. The registrar of brands, Ms Chino Monyatsiwa emphasised the need to abide by the Branding of Cattle Act, which states that a brand has to be eight centimetres long and five centimetres wide.

“Only a brand can be used as evidence in the court of law to identify one’s livestock and it must be on cattle as the act itself indicates,” she explained.

She complained about the high number of cattle in Chobe, that are not branded, adding that the zonal brand should be placed on the neck while the personal brand must be found on the left thigh of a cow or ox. Ms Monyatsiwa was on a district wide tour to sensitise Chobe residents about branding requirements. ENDS