Matimela are a headache for SPTC

CALISTUS KOLANTSHO
Correspondent | Tuesday October 26, 2010 00:00

 

Selebi-Phikwe Town Council pound officer, Franchiscare Keitsekgomo, says the stray livestock roam the streets at night. She explained that since the beginning of the year, the number of stray livestock that have been impounded has tripled compared to last year.

'The situation can be attributed to negligence by farmers since they do not have time to take care of their livestock. They leave the responsibility to their herdboys who in most cases are Zimbabweans,' she said.

Keitsekgomo said the farmers have also realised that the council does not do midweek patrols like before. She stated that before the economic recession, they used to patrol at night but it is now impossible because officers cannot claim overtime.  She explained that at the moment they have decided to do patrols on Friday evenings, Saturday and Sunday mornings. Keitsekgomo mentioned that farmers of the cattle posts surrounding Selebi-Phikwe have destroyed the boundary fence of the township.

She noted that some have gone to the extent of using the gates from the fence in their own properties. She added that the council has also managed to identify one of the farmers who had taken the gate and he was forced to replace it.

Keitsekgomo said farmers have complained that their boreholes are within the boundary fence but that is not true because they have been compensated to remove them from the boundary fence. She noted that Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) has also blocked leakages in all the pipelines in town to stop water from attracting livestock.

'We have also held some discussions with BCL Mine about water that is leaking from their plant because it attracts livestock. We had called BCL Mine personnel to a meeting that we held with farmers last week but they did not show up,' she said.  Keitsekgomo complained that the penalty fees for stray livestock are low. She called for the penalty fees to be increased. She explained that the penalty fee for cattle is P100, for trespassing it is P0.10, sustenance fee is P0.25 and mileage fee is only P1.50. She observed that in other areas, like Gaborone, it is better because there is stock free zone penalty. She noted that the penalty must also be introduced in Selebi-Phikwe.

'Penalty fees are not stiff and they do not  cause panic to the farmers,' she said.

Keitsekgomo said stray livestock cause road accidents, they eat from dustbins in homes and others destroy vegetable gardens. She mentioned that residents must record branding of stray livestock that terrorise them and report them to the council. 

She advised members of the public to avoid taking the law into their own hands by harming or detaining the livestock unlawfully. She pointed out that stray livestock are costing the council a lot of money because when they die, the council has to compensate the owner.  She mentioned that the council must also buy stockfeed and medication for stray livestock. Keitsekgomo went on to state that the council would be auctioning stray livestock on October 29.