Africa-Press – Tanzania. LIVESTOCK and Fisheries Minister Mashimba Ndaki yesterday ordered the veterinary council to investigate and hold accountable veterinarians responsible for witnessing or writing death certificates for more than 270 cattle seized by Maswa Game Reserve management.
Minister Ndaki gave the order during a one-day working tour to the Itilima and Meatu districts, where he spoke with pastoralists whose animals were seized by the game reserve in 2017.
He claimed that after their cattle were seized, the pastoralists went to court and won and that the reserve was supposed to return the cattle to the pastoralists, but only 51 cows were returned, and that the remaining 270 died and veterinarians issued certificates but did not witness the carcasses.
“The ministry is now reviewing cases of pastoralists around the country who had their animals confiscated and later won the case, but the cattle and penalty money have not been returned to them.
Veterinarians around the country should know that you are experts and that you are not sitting in office providing death certificates for livestock without observing such fatalities; some of you are operating arbitrarily,” he argued.
Mr Ndaki noted that it was not a minor matter and that he had been instructed by the President to follow up on these issues to ensure that they were resolved appropriately, as well as to submit the names of pastoralists whose cattle were being held at various game reserves, despite winning court cases.
In the case of the 270 cattle whose whereabouts are unknown, he told the Simiyu Regional Livestock Officer that the ministry wants to know who gave the unidentified livestock’s death certificates because there is no proof that they died.
Minister Ndaki has also directed the Itilima and Meatu District Commissioners to submit a report to the ministry by September 21, 2021, detailing the number of livestock seized and returned to pastoralists, the number of livestock that have not been returned, as well as the names of pastoralists who claim their livestock after winning a lawsuit alleging that their livestock had entered the Maswa Game Reserve.
Some pastoralists in the Itilima and Meatu Districts have complained that some government officials were disrespecting court decisions, which are the ultimate tool in administering justice, because decisions have been made for many days but some pastoralists do not know the fate of their livestock.
They also requested that Minister Ndaki consider ways to allow pastoralists to harvest pastures in protected areas rather than burning them so that they can harvest and care for their cattle.
