Botswana: Foot And Mouth Fence in Disrepair


Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)

28 May 2008
Posted to the web 28 May 2008

Lekopanye Mooketsi


The Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Shaw Kgathi told Ntlo ya Dikgosi Tuesday, that the international boundary fence along the Namibia - Botswana border has not been repaired for a long time.

The Namibian government financed the fence. Kgathi said this why Namibian cattle that cross over the broken fence put Botswana cattle at a risk of contracting cattle lung disease.


He noted that fortunately the double cordon fence between Botswana and Namibia is in tact and prevents the interaction of Nambian and Botswana cattle.

He said the issue of maintenance of the international boundary fences between the two countries frequently comes in joint border security meetings involving the police, immigration, customs and veterinary authorities.

He said, the maintenance of the fence is not the responsibility of his ministry.

Kgathi was answering a question from Kgosi Kea Lempadi of Okavango who asked whether cattle that cross over the Namibian disease control fence and graze next to the Botswana fence, do not put the country's cattle at risk of contracting cattle lung disease. He also wanted to know when the government would discuss the situation with their Namibian counterparts. Lempadi also asked the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism whether he had considered culling hippopotamuses since they are so populated that they make people's lives difficult, especially those who use canoes.

But the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Kitso Mokaila said the hippos are a protected species in line with the sixth schedule of the Wildlife Conservation and National Parks Act.

He said the current estimated population of hippos stands at 3,364 through the entire country according to the 2006 survey.

'This number is not considered too high to warrant any need to control the numbers by culling or otherwise,' said the minister.

However, he assured Dikgosi that where hippos or any wild animals pose a danger to human life or property, his ministry takes all the necessary measures to assist those who are affected. This include the possible termination of the concerned animal.

'In addition to this, section 47 of the Act empowers members of the public to protect their lives and property against such wild animals. This section reads as follows: Notwithstanding anything in this Act, it shall not be unlawful for any person to kill or wound any animal in defence of himself or any other person if immediately and absolutely necessary.'

Lempadi thanked the minister and jokingly invited him for a mokoro cruise along the Okavango River where the hippos would be on standby. Lempadi also asked Mokaila why wildlife officers have stopped selling animals to people in their Dikgotla as was the case before they shifted sales at Gumare.


Mokaila said the mobile sale of licenses - mainly single game licenses - at Dikgotla had to be discontinued due to lack of security to the officers as well as to the government revenue.

He said the wildlife conservation regulations limit or restrict the issuing of single game licenses to District Wildlife Offices only.

Mokaila also denied claims by Lempadi that wildlife officers at times sell rotten game meat to the public. He said if this ever happened it could have been a mistake.

kenya #2 - on the way

quote:

He said the current estimated population of hippos stands at 3,364 through the entire country according to the 2006 survey.

I'm sure the African govt got that count right.

yeah - lesee 10 fingers 10 toes x how many officials, minus missing fingers and toes

I wished that he had taken him up on the river cruise. Of course, done at nightime, in a dugout canoe would be best. That would also give the crocs a "fighting chance" with the hippos involved as primary greeting party for the Mokaila fool.

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
kenya #2 - on the way

When they can Elephant hunting in Bots what is that going to do to prices in Zim???

if you have any plans or desires to hunt Botswana, don't keep putting it off. their new prime minister/ president is definitely anti-hunting and his agenda is now in play.