Tempers fly over rat droppings and abattoir closure

CALISTUS KOLANTSHO
Correspondent | Friday March 5, 2010 00:00

At the extra-ordinary meeting called to discuss the matter, council staff were excoriated for deciding to close the abattoir without first informing councillors, as the political leadership of the town.

Btv News quoted council staff as saying the abattoir was being closed on grounds of hygiene after rat droppings were found at the facility in January.

Sesame South councillor, Godfrey Mbaiwa, said while rats ate carcasses at the facility and their droppings were discovered in January, staff did not inform councillors until the situation got out of hand.

'We didn't have to learn about the rats through the media,' Mbaiwa lashed out. 'It made us look like fools and toothless. This matter could have been sorted out long ago instead of putting consumers at risk.'

He said other means of dealing with the situation could have been found instead of closing the facility down. The move will result in job losses when butchery businesses - some of which are on the brink of collapse, thanks to the outlawing of braaing meat at the butcheries and local bars - also close down, he added.

Councillor Evelyn Kgodungwe of Thakadiawa said it was not the first time that council staff were making decisions without informing councillors. She referred to a time when the only explanation from the deputy town clerk, Mompati Seleka, was that they had forgotten about them.

Councillor Kosi Matshaba of Botshabelo West said council staff are undermining councillors and that they are aware of the procedure to be followed before decisions are made.

Molefe Molathegi of Botshabelo Central said closing the abattoir is not only shocking because the facility underwent renovations late last year; it will scare investors away. He called for a re-assessment of the decision.

The anger of the councillors compelled the Town Clerk Kutlwano Matenge to apologise 'for the blunder' and called on council staff to show due respect to councillors. He said the abattoir will be closed from March 7 to 21.

Matenge said rat droppings were discovered inside the abattoir plant in 2006 and corrective measures to eradicate the rodents in the form of baiting were taken.

'In January this year, some parts of carcasses were discovered to have been eaten and on investigation rat droppings were discovered,' he said.

'The eaten parts were condemned and trimmed off. To be able to eradicate the pests, we were advised to shut down the facility.' Matenge said butchery owners have been informed. The challenge is to find storage for 66 carcasses detained in the cold room because of measles, he added.

Eventually accepting the need to close the abattoir, the Mayor Lekang Mukokomani said he hopes council staff have learnt how to do things properly and that they should not be seen to be at loggerheads with the councillors.

'Councillors should not be made to believe that I am incompetent,' he said.