Roaming Buffalo Spread Foot-And-Mouth Disease

Daily News
February 8, 2003

Energy Bara in Masvingo

THERE are fears that the foot-and-mouth disease in Zaka, Bikita and Chiredzi districts could spread to other parts of the country as fences surrounding the country's national parks have not been repaired.

Buffalo, the main carriers of the disease, continue to move randomly throughout Masvingo because they can get out of parks since fences were damaged during the height of farm invasions in 2000.

A fresh outbreak of the disease has been reported in parts of Gutu and the Department of Veterinary Services does not have adequate vaccines to treat affected animals.

Bikita, Buhera and Zaka had foot-and-mouth outbreaks last month as buffalo and cattle continued to mix.

In the Masvingo East commercial farming area, a herd of buffalo is wreaking havoc with the Department of National Parks allegedly saying that it had no fuel to round up the stray animals.

The marauding buffalo are believed to have come from Kyle Recreational Park which is close to Masvingo East commercial farming area.

Black commercial farmers in the area have blamed the government's fast-track resettlement programme for the disease outbreak.

Said one farmer: "Buffalo are mixing with our cattle. We do not know what to do because the Department of National Parks has told us that it does not have fuel to collect the animals."

Ernest Dzimwasha, the Masvingo provincial veterinary officer, confirmed that buffalo are roaming the province.

Said Dzimwasha: "We have received reports of stray buffalo, but in most cases we have failed to locate them."

Fences around Gonarezhou National Park and Save Valley Conservancies have not been repaired giving room to buffalos and other wild animals to move out of the sanctuaries. The foot-and-mouth disease first broke out in Chiredzi in 2001 and spread to Bikita and Zaka as the Department of Veterinary Services battled to contain it.

Zimbabwe's beef exports to the European Union and South Africa were suspended in August 2001 after the outbreak.

Exports will only resume when there is no outbreak for at least six months.

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