Matsiloje farmers confront Minister over fmd outbreak

MATSILOJE: Irate Matsiloje farmers railed at the Minister of Agriculture, Christian De Graafm at a meeting on Friday after hearing that the government will cull their cattle to control the outbreak of the Foot and Mouth Disease.

The farmers told the minister to go back to the drawing board and think again. The first to raise his concerns was MP for Tati East, Guma Moyo who said the government is inconsiderate. "How can you make decisions of killing cattle before you consult with the concerned people?" asked the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) legislator. Moyo said the government should have discussed the FMD outbreak with the concerned parties before deciding to cull the cattle. He said people spend a lot in raising cattle and it is not fair to kill the animals and get inadequate compensation.

"As farmers the FMD outbreak is not our fault, for. It should not be the people that suffer," he said. Matsiloje deputy chief, Mothibi Lephalo vowed that they will not allow their cattle to be killed. "Never," he barked.

Editor's Comment
Closure as pain lingers

March 28 will go down as a day that Batswana will never forget because of the accident that occurred near Mmamatlakala in Limpopo, South Africa. The tragedy affected not only the grieving families but the nation at large. Batswana throughout the process stood behind the grieving families and the governments of Botswana and South Africa need much more than a pat on the back.Last Saturday was a day when family members said their last goodbyes to...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up