BuaNews (Tshwane)
Sydney Masinga
24 January 2008
Nelspruit — Nearly 80 000 dogs, cats and other domestic animals have been vaccinated against the potentially fatal Rabies disease in Mpumalanga.
The provincial Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs targeted certain high-risk areas near the borders of Mozambique, Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal during November and December for their vaccination campaign.
The animals were vaccinated free of charge.
"We have vaccinated 79 808 cats and dogs and would like to urge owners of domestic animals to come forward if any of their animals appear to be infected," said departmental spokesperson Putsoa Makua earlier this week.
Mr Makua said animals infected with Rabies would display unusual behaviour. Dogs may howl, become extremely subdued or become violent and try and bite people randomly.
Cows and horses might begin to attack human beings if they are infected.
These animals should be reported to the nearest veterinary or offices of the department as soon as possible.
Mr Makau warned that anyone who is bitten by an infected animal should get medical help immediately or they could die.
"If left untreated, Rabies is deadly. Treatment should be taken within three days of the incident," Mr Makua said.
In September last year the Northern Cape's provincial Departments of Agriculture, Health and Education, launched their Anti-Rabies Campaign after there was a marked increase in the number of Rabies incidents especially around the Springbok area.
After an increase in the number of Rabies cases over the last few years, both in humans and animals, throughout the world, the Rabies Alliance (an alliance of research and control institutions worldwide) was prompted to organise World Rabies Day.
Rabies is a viral disease, which is transmitted from animals to humans or animals through biting by an infected animal.
The development of Rabies in humans can be prevented if correct post exposure treatment, including vaccination, is administered timeously and correctly.
Once humans or animals start showing symptoms of Rabies there is no treatment and the disease leads to death.
Members of the public have been advised to have their young animals vaccinated, twice in the first year and then every three years.
People are also warned not to handle, or go near: strange animals or wild animals that seem tame and do not run away from you; sick animals that are not properly restrained; or animals that appear aggressive.
People are further asked to cooperate with the authorities, as their non-compliance can prove detrimental to the community at large. -
Mozambican, SA farmers partner to grow sugarcane
By Sydney Masinga
Malalane - The Mozambican government will donate 29 000 hectares of land to small scale sugarcane farmers in both Mozambique and South Africa over the next three years.
Eighty South African farmers in Tonga, near the Mozambican border in Mpumalanga, are being trained by fertiliser company Omnia Hectorspruit in sugarcane production.
Fifty of the farmers have already completed their training and are in Mozambique training smallscale farmers there.
"We also provide full scale training in soil analysis and help them with marketing and management," said Omnia sales representative Wally Coetzer.
Omnia has signed a 10-year contract to supply fertiliser for the project.
The project was initiated by the Mozambican farmers in 2001 when they saw the success of the smallscale sugar farming project on the South African side of the border.
At the time, Omnia was training 1 300 small scale farmers in Tonga to grow sugar. The farmers had been given eight hectares of land each by the South African government.
The agricultural departments of South Africa and Mozambique then agreed that the Mozambican farmers receive similar support because it was of benefit to both countries.
"Each one of the farmers will be given 100 hectares of land in Mozambique to plant their sugarcane. We know this is not a lot of land, but imagine being used to planting on eight hectares and suddenly you have 100 hectares of land at your disposal," Mr Coetzer said.
He said the project will be implemented in three phases, starting with 10 000 hectares this year, 10 000 hectares next year and 9 000 hectares when a new dam is built in the area.
The farmers will use water from the Corumana Dam to irrigate the 10 000 hectares of land that will be planted in August.
One of the farmers, Joseph Maluleka from Phiva trust outside Tonga, has been part of the project from the start and said is looking forward to the first day of harvesting.
"The project was initiated by small scale farmers in Mozambique who saw how we were managing our eight hectares of land that we had been given by government in 1999," said Mr Maluleka.
He said government of Mozambique agreed to provide land to the Mozambicans, while the South Africans would provide them with training and fertiliser.
"We were given a 35-year lease by the government of Mozambique and are still in negotiations with different sugar producing companies to supply them with cane after harvesting," he said.
The South Africans have a 10-year contract with South African sugar company TSB to supply it with sugarcane.
Mr Maluleka said the South Africans had received a loan from the Land Bank and additional funds from Omnia for the project.
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