VELEZIZWENI- Police officers were called to keep order as residents were fed up with flies.
This follows that residents of Velezizweni, Mankayane, have renewed complaints about a persistent fly infestation they blame on an egg producing farm, saying the situation has become unbearable each summer.
What began as sporadic irritation has now grown into a full-scale environmental concern, with residents alleging that the chicken farm’s handling of manure has created a breeding ground for common house flies that invade homes in large numbers.
The farm is known for the eggs it supplies to shops, but those living closest to the operation say it has escalated into a health and quality-of-life crisis. At Ludvondvolo under Velezizweni, homeowners say the flies have taken over their spaces, forcing them indoors and making daily life difficult. They allege that each year, the farm management promises remedial action, only for the problem to recur with greater severity.
Mliba Mabuza, the Indvuna of Ngwempisi Inkhundla, said environmental health inspectors had previously assessed the farm and advised management on proper manure disposal methods, since the waste was believed to be the root cause of the infestation.
He said officers issued a number of preventive measures, including recommending specific chicken feed that produces droppings less attractive to flies.
“The farm manager complied for a bit, but recently the farm began preparing fields for sheep and spreading chicken manure around the area. That has made it a breeding ground for flies that then move straight into the community,” Mabuza said. Residents say the problem began around 2022. Every summer, they say, swarms of flies attack their homes, while winter offers temporary relief because breeding cycles slow down. During a visit yesterday, resident Lungile Dube walked this reporter into her kitchen, where a fly-catcher had filled up only two hours after being hung. The buzzing of flies was constant and overwhelming. Residents claim that attempts to arrange meetings with the farm manager have been unsuccessful, saying he does not want to see or address them. Yesterday, police officers from Mankayane Police Station were already stationed at the farm with the aim of maintaining order as residents gathered at the gate demanding answers.
Officers blocked entry to this publication, explaining that the farm manager did not welcome the presence of the media and would address residents when he gets time. In an earlier interview with Eswatini News, farm director Derrick Chester acknowledged that his farm produced chicken manure and that the number of flies generally increased during summer.
He argued, however, that there were many farms in the area and several kept livestock. Chester said he could not determine the source of the flies, though he admitted an increase in recent years. He was questioned in January this year after similar complaints arose.
*…
Residents scared of disease outbreaks
VELEZIZWENI – Residents of Velezizweni say the fly infestation has sparked fears of diseases, including cholera, as flies continue to swarm homes near the farm in the area.
“If there could be an outbreak of illnesses such as cholera, we could be the first to get affected,” said resident Lungile Dube. She said the community was increasingly anxious about the possibility of infections spreading through the flies originating from the alleged mismanagement of manure at the nearby poultry farm.
Ngwempisi Indvuna Yenkhundla, Mliba Mabuza, said the infestation posed a genuine health threat, as the community did not know what microbes the flies carried.
“We are concerned that if there could be an outbreak of sorts, we would be greatly affected,” he said.
Flies are known vectors of cholera, transferring vibrio cholerae bacteria after landing on faeces and then on human food, water and surfaces. They act as mechanical carriers, contaminating items through regurgitation or defecation, with microbes surviving both externally and internally.
*…
Infestation causes financial constraints for residents
VELEZIZWENI – The fly infestation plaguing Velezizweni is also creating financial pressure, with residents spending money they cannot afford on disinfectants, fly traps and repellents.
Several residents told this publication they now buy chemicals weekly to manage the insects inside their homes. One resident, Ncobile Dube, said she spends close to E150 each week on disinfectant to scrub floors and walls, which she says flies cling to in large numbers.
“I do not have that kind of money every week, but I must buy the chemicals. They do not solve the problem entirely, but for a few hours after using them the flies decrease.” she said.
*Full article available in our publication
Leave a comment