Gaborone tries shrugging cattle post tag
Pini Bothoko | Friday May 29, 2020 18:51
The city fathers have steered to life, after it became clear that because of the cattle, Gaborone was approaching a cattle post status.
The increase in cattle roaming freely around the city streets has had the city fathers scratching their heads in a bid to find a panacea.
After a lot of soul-searching and mulling over the problem, plans are now afoot to engage the government to acquire grazing land for greater Gaborone farmers.
Over the years, Gaborone City Council has expressed concern at the increasing number of stray cattle roaming the city streets.
The cattle posed sure-to-happen danger to road users with some of them going as far as grazing on the parliament lawns while trudging around Government Enclave and leaving their droppings around the main mall.
The city council has responded by impounding the animals roaming the streets and charging the owners.
However, this measure seemed not to yield desired outcomes. The cattle kept mowing in the streets, upturning dustbins and trying to open water taps in search of water. GCC mayor, Father Maphongo told Mmegi that the animals had been under their microscope for some time.
He said this time they are forced as the council to act. Maphongo went on to reveal plans to engage with the government to acquire grazing land for Greater Gaborone farmers.
He said if villages in Greater Gaborone could remove cattle from their villages, that would automatically save the city from stray animals.
“Cattle roaming the city streets are from our neighbouring villages of Tlokweng, Mogoditshane, Ramotswa and Molepolole. If government could avail grazing land to farmers amongst these villages, their cattle would no longer come to the city and pose a danger to road users. We can only curb the roaming of cattle around the city by helping farmers to acquire grazing land for their animals,” Maphongo said.
He stated that they have been having discussions on how they can help farmers keep their animals from roaming the city streets. He further stated that roaming cattle were also an eye sore to international visitors.
Maphongo said they have heard farmers’ pleas of unavailability of grazing land hence the decision to engage with government to acquire the land for the farmers.
“We do not want first time visitors to be excused thinking that Gaborone is a cattle ranch or a cattle post. We are currently working hard to attract investors and if it happens that they visit and find cattle roaming around the streets then we are forfeiting all claims of being taken seriously (as a metropolis),” he said.
He added the situation was worse during the lockdown, but it was understandable as there were restrictions of people’s movement. Maphongo said they are hopeful that the situation will normalise following the relaxation of restrictions. He said sadly in the past, people even lost their lives due to car accidents caused by cattle roaming around the city.
Maphongo said it has been years since the city council has been battling with stray cattle and not succeeding hence the decision to help farmers acquire grazing land.
Motorists have also in the past raised concern over the increasing number of cattle roaming freely in the city causing road accidents and straying into residential areas damaging properties.
Motorists even accused council of turning a blind eye on the issue despite the serious public outcry.