Daring cattle rustlers in Manicaland are reportedly crossing into neighbouring Mozambique to steal livestock which they are exchanging for as little as 10 buckets of maize in parts of the province hit hard by hunger.
By Sofia Mapuranga
Cattle illegally entering the country through areas such as Chipendeke have also fallen victim to rustlers.
Chief Ellison Padzora from the area confirmed rustlers were wreaking havoc in the area.
He said traditional leaders had since engaged the community to stop the barter trade with the culprits as they risked buying cattle infected by diseases.
“We have held meetings at a community level where there was consensus that people must stop trading with these unknown people,” said Chief Padzora.
He said as a way of discouraging the community from buying the cattle, he had recommended that every beast in the area be registered with the veterinary services department.
“We encouraged everyone to acquire a stock card as a way of ensuring that there are no loopholes as to who owns what,” the traditional leader said.
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Chief Padzora, however, lamented porous borders and corruption, which have become the major factors fuelling illegal trading of cattle in his area.
“Corruption by the law enforcement agents is a challenge because these thieves work with them in such underhand dealings,” he said, calling for increased security at the borders.
He said because the cattle’s health status was not known, it was important for people to stop trading with the criminals as they risked purchasing infected beasts.
According to the country’s laws, the transportation of cattle or their carcasses has to be cleared by the police and the veterinary services department.
Last week, the veterinary services department in Masvingo burnt several carcasses of cattle infected by the foot and mouth disease after the beasts were illegally transported from Nuanetsi Ranch to Masvingo.
The development follows efforts by government to contain foot and mouth disease outbreaks countrywide amid reports that last year alone, the authorities used around $6 million in efforts to contain the disease.
The department of veterinary services last year reported an outbreak of the African swine fever in areas along the Dande Valley in Mt Darwin, which was suspected to have started in neighbouring Mozambique.
The fever, one of the most devastating viruses affecting pigs and warthogs which killed over 500 pigs, has no treatment although it is not dangerous to humans.
Efforts to get a comment from the Manicaland veterinary services department were futile.
Trynos Chatora from Himalaya area, a neighbouring village, said the barter trade had gained momentum following the onset of the El Niño-induced drought.
Headman Takesure Munyoro said in his village, one of the rustlers was caught and handed over to the police.
“Desperation because of hunger has caused untold suffering in most communities to the extent that even when people know that buying cattle without proper documentation is a crime, they are doing it to avert hunger,” said Munyoro, calling on government to assist communities with food aid.
He said because most rivers had dried up, people were no longer engaging in gardening ventures.
“The people in Manicaland are hard workers but because of drought, there are no agricultural activities, a scenario which has left most families starving,” the traditional leader said.
Munyoro revealed that the community had held a rain making ceremony, pleading with ancestors to bring rain. He said the ceremony which had been held a few weeks earlier had seen the community receiving the much needed rains.
“We are going to conduct an even bigger ceremony before the end of this month and we are optimistic that the ancestors will answer our prayers and give us the rains,” said Munyoro.
