Butcheries bear brunt of beef ban

Isaac Pinielo | Thursday April 21, 2016 11:37

As a result of the ban, people are not allowed to slaughter cloven-hoofed animals and their products within the zone, which includes Southern, Kgatleng, South East and Kweneng districts.

The department of veterinary services (DVS) suspended the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their products into, out of and within Zone 11 following the spotting of a buffalo at Moreane in Lotlhakane East, Southern District.

This also caused the suspension of beef exports to the European Union (EU) and other trading partners, resulting in the closure of the Botswana Meat Commission’s Lobatse abattoir. Butchery operators in the affected zone stated that if the current ban persists they could be forced to lay off workers to try and mitigate a huge loss.

Mmamotshela Kula, owner of Moraka Butchery at Broadhurst Industrial said she has started incurring losses since she ran out of meat in her butchery. “Our business is in doldrums at the moment and the impact is quite heavy. We are running out of beef which means we will not sell anything due to this ban,” Kula said. As a result, she said she might fail to pay the workers at the end of the month.

“We want to consult the labour office to get advice on how best we can deal with the issue of workers,” she said. She noted that her butchery specialises in selling beef only since the majority of her customers prefer beef. On a good day, she says she can make around P1,500.

Kula appealed to the veterinary authorities to speed up their processes so that the ban could be lifted to avoid excessive harm.

Another operator, Tebo Dipate of Lobane Meat Centre at Bontleng in Gaborone said the ban has started impacting on her business.

She expressed fear that her stock was likely to get finished by yesterday and that she would be losing about P15,000 that her meat business makes in a day.

“During month end we can make up to P25,000 a day, selling beef, lamb and goat meat,” explained Dipate.

She said the business was at risk because there would be no money to pay the 15 workers, the creditors and for the day-to-day running of the business.

She decried lack of proper communication from government about the situation, adding that her wish is for the situation to be resolved sooner than later.

For Gorataone Ditsie, owner of Knock-Knock General Dealer, Fresh Produce and Take Away in Jwaneng, the beef ban is having a negative impact on his business, which has another outlet in Malokwane village.

He said meat was the main business of his companies that also do catering.

“We make P6,000 a day through the sale of meat only and we fear that if the ban continues there will be other indirect costs,” he said.