Maitengwe — The government will continue to kill all cattle that cross the border into Zimbabwe because of the threat of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) said Mr Oliphant Mfa.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Maitengwe recently, Mr Mfa, who is the Assistant Minister of Agriculture, said the killing of cattle is meant to control the spread of diseases.

He said it is important to kill the cattle in order to protect the country's lucrative beef exports to the European Union and other international markets.

He said the cattle will be killed upon their return irrespective of their FMD status.

He urged Maitengwe residents to look after their cattle to ensure that they do not cross to Zimbabwe.

He informed residents that their cattle will also soon be sold at the EU market.

The assistant minister urged Maitengwe farmers to sell their cattle to the Botswana Meat Commission, adding that their prices are better as they range from P1 000 to P5 000.

Mr Mfa said the challenge of cattle crossing into Zimbabwe is as much a problem as illegal immigrants in the country.

Mr Mfa said the government's efforts to build an electric cordon fence from Matopi to Maitengwe have failed because of sabotage from people. He said government had spent about P5 million in the project before quitting.

In response, residents suggested that cattle found within or across the border cordon fence should not be killed, but rather quarantined and treated if diagnosed with FMD.

They said they lost over 100 cattle in the first three months of this year in the Nkange/Maitengwe area, adding that they will soon end up without any left.

The farmers also complained about the poor maintenance of the cordon fence.