13 Sep 2022

Cattle that will be found grazing along Zimbabwe’s outside Botswana border or strayed into Zimbabwe will be killed.

A veterinary officer responsible for Bobirwa region, Dr Thito Seomile, said the move followed a decision that was taken at the Botswana/Zimbabwe bi-national commission that Zimbabwe cattle found straying into Botswana would be pushed back while those that strayed into Zimbabwe would be killed and owners compensated P700 per head.

Dr Seomile who was speaking at a kgotla meeting addressed by MP for Bobonong, Mr Taolo Lucas said that cattle stolen and recovered in Zimbabwe, a country sharing a border with Botswana in the north and endemic with foot and mouth disease (FMD), would be auctioned there and owners would be compensated with proceeds from the auction.

“While Botswana will not kill Zimbabwe cattle found straying into Botswana, the authorities in Zimbabwe could still kill Botswana cattle that stray across the Shashe River into Zimbabwe,” he explained.

As a result, Dr Seomile pleaded with cattle owners to tend to their livestock to avoid them straying outside Zone 7 into Zimbabwe.

Zone 7 has a 512-kilometre double cordon fence meant to bar animals from crossing into Botswana or outside Botswana. However, elephants vandalise the fence while thieves steal it to use at their ploughing fields.

It was against such backdrop that government had engaged 171 temporary workers to attend to the fence with the hope of completing the exercise in a day.

Although no animal had been detected with FMD in Zone 7 after the disease was detected in Zone 6B that shares a border with the former, Dr Seomile encouraged farmers to report any suspicious signs. Also, he requested that farmers did not move their cattle or hide them in case they spotted signs of the disease.

Not only is Zone 7 under threat from Zone 6B, it is also under risk from South Africa which, like Zimbabwe, shares the border with Botswana and have reported FMD cases.

To avoid the possible socio-economic ramifications born out of FMD red zone, Dr Seomile appealed to Zone 7 famers to work tirelessly to avoid spillover from the three potential risks of Zone 6B, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“Prior to 2019 many farmers were in despair, wondering if the zone would ever be declared FMD free zone without vaccination,” he said.

Buttressing his points, Dr Seomile warned that the fight against FMD was laborious, required resources and took years to win.

He further reminded farmers of the socio-economic challenges they faced in the past, prior to 2019, when their zone was FMD red zone.

He also reminded them of their sufferance and warned them against contravening the legal instrument meant to curb FMD spread like carrying fresh meat from the zones in which movement of cloven animals had been restricted.

“In case people have burials, wedding celebrations or operate butcheries, they could buy cattle from neighboring Zone 8, 9 and 10 where animals will slaughtered at abattoirs and the meat inspected,” he said.

On other related issues, Dr Seomile informed farmers that European Union (EU) auditors would descend on Botswana shores end of October. He said since Botswana exports beef to some European countries, auditors would be interested in residency and traceability of cattle.  ENDS