Twenty-four of the 100 heifers donated to Buhera villagers four months ago by Vice President Constantine Chiwenga under the Heifer Pass on Scheme to replenish thousands of herds of cattle lost to bovine theileriosis (tick disease) have since died, The Mirror has been told.
The heifers which were intended for villagers but looted by
senior Zanu PF officials in the district died due to the drought, lack of
supplements and proper care, sources have said.
The incessant rains in the last few weeks have also brought
in a new challenge.
Buhera District veterinary officer, Doctor Samson Chiduku
said his office is incapacitated to monitor the project and he therefore does
not have information on the heifers.
“We donít have fuel to monitor the heifers. We therefore
have not visited the farmers and do not have information on what is happening,”
said Chiduku.
Efforts to get a comment from Buhera Zanu PF chairman Saul
Nzuma were futile. Sources said apart from the supplements, the heifers were
also badly affected by the incessant rains that pounded the country over the
last few weeks.
Some farmers are selling away the heifers for US$100 when
they become too weak to walk while others are slaughtering them for meat.
Farmers who received the heifers are supposed to keep them
and pass them on when they have new calves and the pass on programme has
therefore been severely incapacitated by the 24 deaths.
The scheme becomes
one of the many badly managed Government projects which end up just being merry
go round.
The heifers were distributed among Zanu PF hierarchy which
included Nzuma, councillors, chiefs, headmen and their relatives. Masvingo
Mirror
0 comments:
Post a Comment