The cattle were supposed to be part of the 210,000 that were culled last year to control the FMD outbreak in the region. However, investigations have begun to establish whether the farmer tried to hide his cattle from hovering police helicopters and veterinary officers during the mass culling of 2011.
After the discovery in August this year, veterinary officers were dispatched to the farm from Francistown to cull the cattle. The Department of Veterinary Services now fear that the farmer's action may have defeated efforts to eradicate FMD in the area where over P90 million was used in the culling exercise last year. On Friday, North East District Commissioner, Rapetse Mathumo pleaded that the matter should not be reported. "I plead with you not to report about that; this is confidential information that I don't want to comment on; who told you that?" he asked The Monitor. Matsiloje residents told The Monitor that they have been disturbed by the farmer's actions and recently, they resolved at a Kgotla meeting in Masunga that officers from the Department of Veterinary Services explain what is going on. However, the farmer's committee chairman, Pitiki Lophalo said the DC pleaded with them at a September1 Kgotla meeting to allow him to deal with the matter. But Lophalo says they have waited too long and they are now losing patience.
