FESBC AVAILS HELP FOR BUTCHERY OWNERS

MANZINI - The Federation of Eswatini Business Community (FESBC) has offered to assist butchery owners approach the Minister of Agriculture regarding their grievances.

Speaking at a meeting organised by the owners to pave a way forward regarding the slaughter ban by the Director of Veterinary Services Xolani Dlamini, FESBC Head of Transformation Mavela Sigwane said that his organisation was willing to help them secure a meeting with the minister. The meeting was held at the Bosco Skills Centre in Manzini. “Our mandate is solely to be of assistance to businesses at grassroots level,” he said. Sigwane highlighted the need for processes to happen in a swift manner, as the current competition did not favour small businesses. “There are a lot of big players coming into the space currently. They are coming in and buying smaller businesses and they have all the facilities that favour their operations,” he added.

The butchery owners currently have a gripe with the director of Veterinary Services, who at the beginning of the year, instituted a ban on the slaughter of animals at butchery premises. The ban which was to start on January 1, 2024, only allowed the slaughtering to happen at abattoirs. The Minister of Agriculture, Mandla Tshawuka, lifted the ban on January 11, 2024, pending consultative processes with the different stakeholders. The major question that was asked by most contributors at the meeting was why the minister’s directive was not followed as it seemingly overruled every other decision. Also, what the butchery owners brought forth was the issue of insufficient abattoirs in the country.  

Obstacles

“Instead of following the minister’s directive, more obstacles have been presented for butchery owners,” said Elliot Simelane, a cattle farmer. “We are now required to have slaughter slabs at our premises yet there is no template for us to follow.” Another issue was that this ban undermines the King’s ‘nkwe’ directive as the butchery owners were of the view that it was not only directed to legislators, but everyone who had some responsibility in the recovering of the economy. Salebona Bhembe made a submission that there should be a committee that the butchery owners would form, that will represent them and speak on their behalf.

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