27 Mar 2018

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Slumber Tsogwane tabled the Matimela Bill of 2017 for second reading on March 26.

The Bill which seeks to re-enact with amendments the Matimela Act to provide for the collection, reporting and sale of matimela (stray livestock) in Botswana, was initially tabled for first reading in the previous sitting of parliament last year. 

Mr Tsogwane stated that the Bill proposes to modernise the Matimela Act and mainstream it into the current policy environment by aligning it with the current regulation. 

The minister added that the Bill introduces gender neutrality to the law in order to make it gender neutral, and also removes provisions pertaining to employee matters so that matimela officers could be governed by provisions of the Public Service Act.

Mr Tsogwane further pointed out that the Bill has undertaken measures to differentiate a person tracking matimela on behalf of council from someone with criminal intentions.

“It provides that should a council deem it necessary it may outsource collection of matimela and such outsourcing shall be done by way of variables and instruction from council,” explained the minister.

He said in an effort to promote efficiency in the management of matimela, the bill has shortened from 30 to 14 days the time for the chief to relay to council the presence of matimela reported to him. 

“It has also shortened from 30 to 14 days the period within which a council is mandated to collect the reported matimela. It has further reduced from 14 to five working days the period for matimela officers to notify council of matimela in their custody so that ultimately the public would be notified,” the minister added.

He further said the bill establishes a 14 day period within which owners of livestock placed in the matimela facility could identify their livestock and pay prescribed fees in order to get them back. 

Mr Tsogwane added that the bill has reduced from six to three months the period within which the owner may claim the livestock.

“Should the said period elapse without any person coming forward to claim it, the animal would be deemed to have been abandoned and the animal shall be sold accordingly,” he said. 

He explained that extensive consultations were made with districts councils, communities and farmers predominantly through kgotla meetings before the bill was tabled in parliament. 

The minister said councils would not assume the responsibility of tracing the owners of matimela because it is the responsibility of owners to look after their livestock.

 Takatokwane MP Mr Ngaka Ngaka expressed his support for the bill, but advised that management of missing animals should be transferred from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to that of Agricultural Development and Food Security.

He said since the agriculture ministry documents livestock owners details when they register they purchase livestock identification apparatus such as ear tags, the ministry would be able to contact the owners when their livestock have been put in missing animal facilities.

Tati East MP Mr Samson Guma Moyo also felt that the duties of matimela management should be handled by the agriculture ministry for ease of tracing owners of livestock put in matimela facilities. 

Maun East MP Mr Konstantinos Markos urged government to use information on ear tags to notify owners of livestock put in matimela facilities to go and collect their livestock and pay penalties.  ENDS