A farmer of Choma’s Macha in Southern Province has collapsed after the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock slaughtered and disposed off 71 of his animals worth K138,000.
Choma District Fisheries and Livestock Coordinator, Dr. Alex Hachangu said this is in view of the animal movement ban effected in February due to the Foot and Mouth Disease.
The disposed animals moved from Pemba district headed to Mumbwa via Man’gunza on foot from among the areas affected by foot and mouth disease.
Dr. Hachangu stated that the action was in line with the Health Act No. 27 of 2010 which provides for the clearance of all animals moving from one district to another by the veterinary department.
He added that the ministry had no choice in this case as there was clearance from Vet and the police.
There was wailing and crying from Macha residents when the Ministry paraded 71 animals including 32 Cattle, 28 Sheep and 11 Goats in pulls of blood worth K138, 000.
Meanwhile, Keme Syantumbe, owner of the stock, who could not hold his emotions described the incident as a death penalty because his entire life depends on the slaughtered animals.
He further stated that the future of his 13 children who are at Primary, Secondary and Tertiary level has been shuttered as their education depended on the slaughtered animals.
Asked where they would take the carcass, Dr Hachangu said the Ministry will auction the 32 Cattle to the nearest Abattoir owned by a Somalian national should they be deemed fit for human consumption.
Credit: Macha Radio
You idiiiioooootttttsssss… pay him that amount so he can buy fresh ones …. Mwe fi puba mwe… mwe nkoko mwe
They are animals.
Let them go.
Who cares – they die they die
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Its now all round policy! More like liquidation instead of receivership or other …
“Dr Hachangu said the Ministry will auction the 32 Cattle to the nearest Abattoir owned by a Somalian national should they be deemed fit for human consumption.”
How come the nearest abattoir is owned by a Somalian national??? What happened to us Zambians??? How come we don’t own anything significant in our country anymore???
We want to privatize everything, our wives will be next if this trend continues … I am so heart broken. We need to start owning factors of production again if we are going to create anything significant for ourselves.
Sad, very sad indeed … we can’t roll like that!!!
Epo mpelele,
BRM
Ba Edgar need to step in that massacre. Arrest those sabotage vets. This is worse than stealing through Firetrucks, this day light terror. What a brutal killings.
Why hate a fellow citizen that much sure? These PF go about DESTROYING anything.
Killing someone’s goat is close to killing a person. If we kill a person in a car accident, we pay back with a cow. So according to our traditional law vets killed equivalent to 71 individuals.
Whoever got involved in that brutal public killing need 71 death sentences.
Next time there is cholera in Zambia, they will just kill those 71 suspected patients in the stadium.
Those animals deserved some medical examinations and humane treatment. Innocent blood will spill on whoever is involved. You be hearing those cow mourn in your sleep.
These PF are savages indeed!!
These guys are idyots including Haachangu himself! Those animals did not test positive to foot and mouth, so why slaughter them? They could have fined the owner but not to kill healthy animals recklessly like that!
These are signs of lawlessness by overzealous government officers who are ignorant of the law. They will have to produce the law that empowers them to kill animals.
If there is witchcraft, I think it will be justified to use it kill all those involved in this lawless act mysteriously. This should be more than expected, someone will die from this nonsense.
He competes with his goats in having kids. 13!
PF can make a political mileage there by replacing the cows. Those tongas when they see cows, they start reasoning. Hahaha
He definitely should be compensated. Government should n’t take enjoyment in killing a hardworking farmer s livestock. The minister should quickly issue a statement to ease the farmer’s trauma
These people have no heart whatsoever. They don’t care about other human beings. How can you carry out such a callous heartless killing and not pay attention to the owner of the animals? Why didn’t the government strike a deal with the owner, compensate him and then kill the animals? Heartless foooo1s. But this is life under Lungu. The corrupt guy just cares about himself and his few buddies, while the rest of the Zambians wallow in abject poverty. A competent lawyer needs to quickly file a lawsuit against the government, for carrying out such a heartless act, most likely, meant to steal this hard working farmer’s animals. This is a criminal act. And they’re even talking about, they’ll auction off the carcasses to the abattoir if the animals are fit for consumption. Then why…
…. didn’t you check the animals first, or quarantine them? Someone please sue these heartless people. What a shame. The poor farmer needs to be compensated for this. Don’t let them get away with this.
B.R. Mumba…better a Somali than a Chinese or Lebanese. Somalis are our African brothers and sisters. It’s also funny that you completely ignore the elephant in the room, which is the heartless killing of this poor farmer’s animals, which in my estimation is a criminal act. Where’s your outrage, or are you okay with it? If you’re okay with it then you’re heartless too.
Only a real farmer can know the pain that this poor man has felt! I cry along with him and dear Lord I pray give him the strength to recover from such a heavy blow!
The govt officer that sanctioned this slaughter could have used some discretion and fined the poor farmer. This was an inhumane act which even God himself will punish those who committed it. We live in a land of outdated and repressive laws which must be changed. Yes the movement of the animals was a mistake but why couldn’t they just be quarantined and fine the owner then instruct him to return the animals to his farm, we lack empathy which is why we will never develop a nation, I’ve given up hope, how can we developed when we do these things to each other?
@LIE DETECTOR … yours is a fallacy of static analysis.
Epo mpelele,
BRM
Ichipumbu niwebo who does not know what it means to control animal diseases
They are quick to act when it comes to poor people who don’t even know there are animal movement bans in place. Pay him.
Do you know that we as country can not export beef because of our weak laws regarding diseases such as foot and mouth….this is harsh as they should have quarantined his herd.
Its now all round policy! More like liquidation instead of receivership or other …
“Asked where they would take the carcass, Dr Hachangu said the Ministry will auction the 32 Cattle to the nearest Abattoir owned by a Somalian national should they be deemed fit for human consumption.”
Another reason why they should have been quarantined ….someone is not going to forget this incident that easily…this Dr Hachangu feel for him.
Is hh ok please check on him. The journalist could gotten a wrong name
How can you kill animals for some one , without realizing it that , the farmer depends on those animals.you have failed to cure the diseases then you jump on killing animals which you don’t know how much money that man used to buy those animals.so you are praising lungu instead of advising that farmer, you ended up exposing your evil things.Just use black magic to clear that baggar , come to siavonga we will direct you what to do.
Let him go to Sesheke! There are better miracle workers there to deal with that devil of a Vet doctor with a small “d”! He needs to produce test results he did to justify the slaughter failure to which he must be prosecuted for failure to follow good vet practice! What was required was for him to have the animals quarantined and tested first but he saw an opportunity to auction beef and pocket the proceeds. Bl00Dy Dr Death should have his practicing license revoked!
Meanwhile cadres have a direct line to the Tax General Kingsley and they are negotiating release of contraband …how can this Choma man going to recover from this?
“Asked where they would take the carcass, Dr Hachangu said the Ministry will auction the 32 Cattle to the nearest Abattoir owned by a Somalian national should they be deemed fit for human consumption.” Every thing about this is wrong. He needs a good lawyers and sue all the authorities involved. He needs compensation and more. Poor farmer.
This is SAD! 71 animals is not a joke bane. These are years of investments by a poor family. There could ve been better ways of punishing the poor farmer. Surely people cant reason through!!! I am heart broken. Yes he broke the law by not obeying to the animal movement ban, but wait a minute, Animal movement ban is NOT the only law which has been put in place, There has been export of mealie meal ban, Mukula trade ban… tell me what punishment you gave to those who were caught contravening your bans???.
Thousands of cattle were slaughtered in the UK when an outbreak of foot and mouth disease occurred some ten years or so ago. All the carcasses were burnt. They were deemed unfit for human consumption by virtual of the fact that they were infected! Why did they not test the animals before slaughtering them. Oh wait a minute – laziness and corruption pa ZED!
They were very efficient at slicing off the throats ….they are even going to auction off the beef as its safe for human consumption.
may you erase these *****s by lightening
Yes. Foot and mouth disease is infectious and lives can be lost when infected animals and carcass come in contact with people and consumers but from the article it sounds that the animals were slaughtered on ground of merely not having the livestock inspected and certified fit for stock movements from an endemic districts to another district and in actual not all animals have foot and mouth disease in the district where it is endemic I there fore think these animals were supposed to be quarantined for the period covering the incubation period of the disease. Meanwhile related investigations antimoterm inspections conducted, blood tests and contact tracing contacted etc. there after advise animal owners on procedure relevant to live stock movements if possible inflict fiscal basic…
My heart is broken indeed. This is terrible! People we should think of one another pliz.God,wl punish them who slaughter the poor farmer’s animals
Mushota you are more than mfwiti you don’t have a human heart how can you say such? May God forgive mwandi.
I agree with Dr.Sipinya,when poor people are in question they do not care.Quarantine is the answer…Bali tumpa bones Ba fik*l* fya wish aba for luck of a better term.
Old-fashioned Bush Vet Medicine! This is witchcraft!
You have not only killed the animals! You have killed not only the farmer but everyone who was depending on this man!
Can a good Lawyer come to the rescue of this man!
Why are they talking of selling the carcasses to Arbattours? Were the animals killed because they were diseased or these chaps did it with umufulo and malice? Abuse of Authority of office is the biggest challenge we have at all levels in Zambia today! Let the farmer seek reliefs from the courts. This is barbaric!
Pay lawyer him with what?
Jay Jay…a lawyer who agrees to get paid IF he wins the case. There are lawyers who work like that. Or find one who works pro bono.
@ LIE-DETECTOR had the set up been as where we are residing sympathizers would have already set in motion for raising money to assist the farmer seek recourse and in a small way alleviate his immediate challenges in recovery. Pa Zed people hurt for the moment and soon after the accepted normal restores leaving such a farmer on his own until the cycle repeats! Does it occur to many that in most cases those that keep and tend to animals are good natured people and I have reason to believe that the some of the smaller animals could have belonged to some of the children as a beginning to an investment journey. Well the Vets for lack of equipment chose the lazy person’s solution. Henceforth how do they hope to interact in Macha?
I left a comment it is very unprofessional in the case of the farmer in questions and government employees
In this matter a criminal act is involved
In some of these incidents independent or free Lancer veterinary surgeons were supposed to be involved
Some of these government employees are not competent enough to manage sensitive matters.
I don’t know where this behaviour came from. I remember a time when we all used to be peaceful and civil towards one another. I think we as Zambians are losing our sense of humanity. I also think the farmer didn’t know of the animal movement ban. This was thoughtless and extremely harsh and I hope Karma is real so that whoever was responsible for this useless course of action faces retribution. God help us!
Baba Karma is real don’t even doubt it! This Vet doc who ordered the slaughter of these animals without even testing for the disease and then goes on to auction the the meat, he has to deal with his own guilt conscious as well as God’s vengeance.
Do you think this poor farmer and others in Choma can ever vote for PF after such inhuman treatment? We do not support going against the law, but there are humane ways of punishing wrong doers other than killing animals of which some might not even have been infected. Punishment without even taking the man to a court of law. Its really a brutal regime.
Ignorance is no defence. The Vet Doc did exactly what the law says on illegal movement of animals.
If people feel otherwise, then the law should be changed. For now the Vet officer is 100% right. That farmer cannot win that case in court.
I remember a similar thing happened years back in Kabompo. 16 cows were killed for similar reasons and the meat after being certified fit for human consumption given for free to patients at the hospital and prisoners in Kabompo jail.
Then there is need to refine this law. Not so good for an un informed citizens like ours…
If I was Vet Officer I would put in transfer request now to another corner of the country!!
It is not a law but recommendation. A doctor taking advantage of the poor.
Firstly, this Dr. Doesn’t understand that Somalians are Muslims who are guided by halaal principles. These animals Holocaust is not halaal. Killing of animals like that is not genocide. Why not quarantine and Charge the owner? So Dr. Doesn’t care feeding Zambian people with infected meat?
How do you think they kill or prepare animals for halal ? I think the Somali guy was used here as Vets use a special gun..
There is need for sympathetic public to raise money so that our brother can have his life back. Government procedures of compensation if any take a long time to be resolved. Kindly provide full names and bank details of our beloved Zambian so that members of the public can assist him. Otherwise I wonder why there is no option of asking the owner to vaccinate his cattle against foot and mouth after quarantining the cattle.
what does that law state which guided the so called vet doctors guide us the cap,section and sub-section sensitized us you have generallised Mr. John mulele.
This is bad to the owner you take him down ????
There’s a clear injustice in the application of this law in this specific case. The probability of auctioning the carcasses to an abattoir for human consumption clearly screams “injustice”!
Mushota you are more than mfwita and you don’t have a human heart, how can you say say such. Please please please mulekwatako luse mwebantu even if it’s not on you.
What a doctor who cannot use his brains. How would he take pleasure in killing animals without knowing whether the animals are sick or not? This is a doctor who cannot use diligence beyond what he memorized in School and the recommendation from the ministry. It is not a law that animals from not move from one place to another without documentation. The doctor acted without thinking.
Agreed we need to control animal diseases if we have to capture export markets BUT we need to be humane and reasonable in the way we enforce our laws! As @2.3 Jay Jay has said they should have quarantined them and fine the guy! The PROBLEM is patriotism is all gone,CORRUPTION has taken centre stage!! Who knows may be The Somalia connived with the Vet so that the former could easily have the meat for him to make huge profits and share!!
How can it be the Somalian’s problem. Just blame your govt laws for fighting FMD. As can be seen here, people are very angered by the govt for having to implement such laws. As you know where such laws exist, responsible institutions need to be heartless when it comes to eliminating any possibility of spread of FMD. But we are in Zambia where emotions runs illogically high. Either way if govt institutions dont act appropriately and FMD wipes entire population of animals, zambians will still pour scorn on govt.
@25.1 Hunter,Nobody says it’s a Somalian’s problem.We are blaming the Vet who lacked discretion and wisdom in applying the law and later wanted a Somalian to benefit from his unwise acts.Why not quarantine the animals,test them first before slaughter and charge the farmer a fine if they are ok and turn him to take back animals to his farm?
This reads like the actions of a Vet who is eager to be seen to ‘work’. Interpreting the law doesn’t mean doing so in abstract. Common sense should also prevail. The fact that the animals could still be fit for consumption, tells us that this decision is irrational. Where does the money go when the animals are auctioned to a Somali abattoir? Why mention of the Somali, by the way?
Foot and mouth disease are mostly found on animals who are below 1 year above 1 year can not be attacked by that disease.treating animals with such kind of disease is very simple it just takes some few minutes than killing which takes more hours.The only dangerous diseases to animals are athracnose not foot and mouth disease.Hope the doctor understand the warfare of animals and the right of animals.That is the problem of buying papers you may end up doing wrong things because you are in a position you don’t understand.kill that baggar black magic is available.
Reply to1.1
You are an ugly stupid cow yourself and should be slaughtered instead of the animals.
Heartless bit*h
Smells like tribalism at work here, shame on you zambians
This is why we have ended up with the low calibre of politicians that we have. There is a law. It has been applied. We are attacking the action prescribed. Those talking about quarantine please educate us where that provision is. Also, read the spirit of that law in terms of how contagious the disease under discussion is. There are cases of zero tolerance to banning that you can easily learn from from your neighbors in Namibia and Botswana and their beef exports are thriving. Imwe ndwiiii. I am sure the friends who should have restrained that poor man egged him on…
Overzealous Public Officers should NEVER be tolerated in society if we all want to be safe! We should start suing people in their personal capacity when they take the law into their hands like this!
In Veterinary Medicine, there are procedures this Vet Doctor overlooked! He was supposed to have those animals quarantined and tested before recommending slaughter! Why is he even talking about testing after the animals are dead? Why is he even entertaining the thought of having those carcasses auctioned for consumption? Should he not be talking about burning the carcasses? This does not make sense! This Vet Doctor is crude in his approach and is a danger to Livestock farmers and should have his practicing license revoked! He should further be prosecuted for what he has done – not carrying…
He should further be prosecuted for what he has done – not carrying out Due Diligence before recommending slaughter and for taking the Law into his hands!
Sad reading. Very sad on both fronts. The incident is unfortunate though within the provision of the law. Because we are not used to enforce our own laws we find this act inhumane.
We must know that the laws are meant to regulate conduct and not necessary that the animals should have been tested before killing them. If the farmer did not follow later down procedure the vet were right.
On one had, if that movement transmitted diseases to another area the same would condemn the vet. It is time we get accustomed to follow our own rules and regulations.
It is important.
HOW CAN 71 CATTLE BE WORTH 138,000 ??? THAT MEANS EACH COW/BULL IS ONLY WORTH K 1,943 !!! THE DEPARTMENT MUST BE HELD LIABLE FOR SLAUGHTERING CATTLE THAT DO NOT HAVE FMD. EACH ANIMAL IS IN THE REGION OF AT LEAST K 3,000 !!!!!!!!!!!!! TAKE THEM TO COURT MR SYANTUMBE – MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR MONEY !!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY CANNOT SELL YOUR CATTLE TO A BUTCHERY IF THE CATTLE ARE NOT SICK !!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is evil inhuman and this magogo so called mushota she is laughing does she even have feelings for the husband on the bed as a woman I don’t think so.
It has just been discovered that the Vet suffers from mental disorder. This is not the first time he has done this to his enemies. He is pro PF
This can only be likened to Namwala ethnic cleansing which happened shortly after elections in 2016.
Guy Scott was paid by government when he slaughtered his pigs during the swine fever quarantine. I’m sure the law that was used to compensate Dr Scott equally applies to this farmer. One thing I noticed is that the Vet officer is a local chap and is expected to know how much animal wealth is valued in these parts. And why auction the animals and not simply destroy them? Maybe, just maybe he’s got differences with this farmer, or is trying to make some profit from this massacre, or he wants to tarnish someone’s name. Otherwise I don’t see any logic in the whole exercise.
Read to understand. this situation was tricky. firstly the is a movement ban the cattle have already been moved from their habitation to point B. which is against the law since there is a ban.at point b the cattle is intercepted by Vet department. the have only one choice clear the cattle according to the law.
The cattle cant be kept at point B since it will be in violation so will be returning the cattle. even slaughtering to sell is still a violation if the let the farmer do it. Am sure the farmer is aware of the ban and may have been getting away with this previously. He doesn’t seem to dispute the vets actions. Next time donate two cattle to save the heard … read proverbs for wisdom.
We are talking of a farmer in the rural area were there are no tv’s there is a very high possibility that he was not aware of the act
Inonge ignorance is no defense. But I still insist that the farmer should have just been fined for the breach, animals tested and returned to where they came from.
My heart bleeds, why???????????????,Your Excellency ECL please you are the president of the republic of Zambia, please SORT OUT THE *****S,THEY DIDNT TEST BEFORE THEY MASSACRED……….
BANHA BA FIKALA, IF IT MEANS BUYING LIGHTENING FROM LUAPULA LETS DO IT!!!!!!!
For these people to kill those animals did the educate everyone about the act they are talking about, secondly have they put to consideration how that family is going to survive since they have cut their means of income. If this continues we will not develop as a country
They should assessed the animals first and seek if they were infected before taking this inhuman decision. It’s because the man is poor.
Government should compensate the Tonga farmer.Even in uk they were compensating farmers when there was
Mad cow disease.Even guy Scott compensated himself when he was minister during the swine fever for pigs.
At first I thought it was Ok but now my heart bleeds. I feel sorry for the poor farmer. Ba President of Zambia thats why you are there on that sit. Kindly help the poor farmer by compensating him, he needs to survive with his family. Killing 71 animals is not a joke. Ba HH where are you as well because I hear you also did the same, there was a rummer that you displaced families who occupied your area sometimes back but this is the time to shine and show people that you are the president of UPND. VET, how can you kill animals before carrying out a test? And now you want to sell them, for me is no sense.