Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent

THE Veterinary Department in Matabeleland South Province in conjunction with their Botswana counterparts are holding a campaign to educate farmers from the two countries against allowing their livestock to stray across the two countries’ borders in a bid to contain trans-boundary diseases.

In an interview, Matabeleland South provincial veterinary officer, Dr Enat Mdlongwa, said the campaign, which started on Monday, was targeting farmers situated along the border line.

He said the campaign was also part of efforts to avoid cases of Zimbabwean animals being shot in Botswana after straying into the neighbouring country.

A number of Zimbabwean cattle have been lost as a result of the policy. “As the Matabeleland South Province Veterinary Department we will be holding a meeting with our Botswana counterparts and from there we will go to the ground and educate farmers from the neighbouring country on incursions of their cattle into Zimbabwe. We will also have a similar programme in Matabeleland South from August 9. As from July 22- July 25 we will be in Botswana.

“We want to address the issue of trans-boundary diseases. We don’t want a situation where animals from Botswana come into Zimbabwe when we don’t know their disease status or vice versa. We want to engage farmers so they keep animals in their designated areas. If animals are controlled it will be easier to contain disease outbreaks before they spread into the neighbouring country. We have in the past recorded a number of cases where diseases have been spread into the other country after animals have strayed,” Dr Mdlongwa said. He said a large number of Zimbabwean cattle have been shot in Botswana since the implementation of the shoot to kill policy in 2016 but they had since engaged their Botswana counterparts and agreed that was not the best way to address the problem.

Dr Mdlongwa said the two countries were now trying to synchronise the way they treated animal incursions into either side of the two countries.

“We agreed that shooting the animals wasn’t the best way to treat people living within common boundaries. The best solution is for Zimbabwean farmers to monitor their animals and ensure they don’t stray into Botswana and for the Botswana farmers to control their animals from straying into Zimbabwe. Farmers have to look after their animals properly as it is their wealth. “Our target is to reach a point where we have farmers controlling their animals. Some farmers just direct their animals across the border to graze because of the prevailing drought while others are just negligent of their animals and all that has to stop,” he said.

Dr Mdlongwa said in Matabeleland South Province the campaign will be held in Bulilima, Mangwe, Matobo, Gwanda and Beitbridge Districts as they border Botswana. Authorities from the neighbouring country pointed out that they had resorted to this policy because the straying of Zimbabwe cattle was affecting their business of exporting beef as the country has incidences of foot and mouth disease. — @DubeMatutu