As the Department of Wildlife and National Parks are still trying to locate the origins of the buffalo which was sighted and killed in Kanye on Monday, the public is advised to stay away from meat until further notice. The Ministry of Agriculture banned the slaughtering and movement of meat and meat products in the Zone 11 areas.
The buffalo could have originated from a number of places including neighboring countries, and there is fear of foot and mouth disease that could have been transmitted from the buffalo to our livestock. Until they find out where the buffalo originates from, people in Kanye and the surrounding areas will have to be vegetarians for a little while.
This obviously does not sit well with a lot of people. Some local butchery owners in Gaborone expressed shock at the recent announcement that beef will not be sold until investigations of possible Foot and Mouth Disease in Zone 11 are concluded.
The butchery owners said their welfare is likely to be affected by the changes as they have to pay rent and provide food for their families. People who are about to have occasions and gatherings over the weekend, are fuming, since meat is an integral part of any social gathering.
