By Sifelani Murambiwa.
Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. (News of The South) – Traditional leaders in Chiredzi District are appealing to the Zimbabwean Government to mould urgent mechanisms to save their cattle from continuously dying due to shortage of grazing and water.
The development comes after the district received little rainfall last season and this inhibited growth of grass.
In an interview with News of the South, Chief Tshovani said villagers are continuously losing their cattle due to drought.
“Villagers are continuously losing their cattle due to drought. Everyday a villager complains about cattle dying in my area and this requires urgent measures from the government, non-governmental organisations and everyone to be precise because the rate at which we are losing our livestock is very high,’ said Chief Tshovani.
Cattle in Chiredzi resemble power and wealth within communities and villagers had been keeping large herds so that they can maintain their social status.
The big herds mainly of cattle are however impacting negatively to the environment as they are now fuelling over grazing and competition for the limited resources.
Another Chief, Gudo said private abattoirs are purchasing cattle from the villagers who are desperately giving them away on cheap prices as they try to evade unexpected deaths.
“Villagers are losing out, private abattoirs are now camped in our villages purchasing cattle at relatively low prices. Our people are being forced to partake whatever price because they don’t have a readily available option,” said Chief Gudo.
Chief Gudo however challenged government and its development partners to avail stock feeds for the survival of their livestock.
“It is high time that the government must to intervene in providing us with cattle feeds, we are now clueless, we have lost sight and hope that our cattle can survive under these conditions. I just feel that if we don’t receive rains within the next two weeks surely we might end up visiting other areas just to have a glimpse of what cattle is,” said Chief Gudo.
Chief Sengwe however said cattle are now travelling longer distances to graze and have water and this is making them lose a lot of energy.
Last year government and the Food and Agriculture Organisation availed stock feeds to cattle farmers and this helped in saving farmers from losing their cattle.
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