GCC turns to Dikgosi over problematic stray animals
Pini Bothoko | Tuesday September 12, 2023 06:00
The stray animals that roam the city’s streets like cattle, donkeys, goats and dogs have long been a major concern and the GCC continues to face difficulties in resolving this issue.
One root cause identified for the influx of stray animals in Gaborone is the lack of grazing land in nearby villages such as Tlokweng and Mogoditshane. Recently, city council officials convened a meeting with tribal leaders from the surrounding villages at Woodlane Hotel.
It was the meeting with Dikgosi that the GCC officials appealed to them to encourage their communities, particularly cattle owners, to keep their animals away from the city roads. GCC mayor, Austin Abraham expressed deep concern about the presence of stray domesticated animals in the city. He also implored the leaders to raise awareness amongst their communities on the importance of preventing their animals from entering the city, as this tarnishes Gaborone's image.
Abraham pointed out that other cities in neighbouring countries are free from livestock, adding this reflects badly when animals are seen on the city's roads, which even poses risks to motorists. “What kind of a capital city are we that have cattle roaming all over? It doesn't look okay when we have visitors from other countries and they have to stop and pave the way for stray animals,” Abraham said. “The situation worsens at night when the freely roaming beasts make it difficult for drivers to spot them in the dark.
Many lives have already been lost, and many more people have been injured as a result of accidents involving stray animals in the city.” Abraham acknowledged the challenges faced by cattle owners regarding grazing land.
However, he urged them to keep their animals away from the capital. “We have a responsibility of keeping the city clean and as such starting from September 1, we will impound stray animals and keep them in our kraals for 21 days. After 21 days, if their owners have failed to claim, pay and collect the animals, we will sell them. There will be a charge of P0.75 per day attached as we have taken this stern decision to keep the city clean and animal accident-free,” he said. Bakwena paramount chief, Kgosi Kgari Sechele III echoed the GCC’s leadership's sentiments, emphasising the need for the city to match the standards of other urban centres by becoming livestock-free.
Despite his appreciation for cattle and understanding of their significance to many Batswana for sustenance, he underlined the importance of aligning the city with the livestock-free status of other cities. “Even in Kweneng stray animals in our villages remain a concern. We have since engaged by-laws to impose strict punishment on offenders.
We continue to sensitise farmers to keep their animals out of the city, but it isn't an easy job. From here, we will continue to plead with them to keep their animals away from the city and make them aware of the penalties,” he said. Ramotswa District Council representative, Zaahid Jalal and Tlokweng Sub District Council deputy chairperson, Lesego Molefe reiterated the persistence of the stray animal issue in their areas, even extending to their villages. They continue to urge residents to keep their animals away from both the city and the villages to prevent unnecessary accidents, sometimes resulting in fatalities.