Information sourced by faceofmalawi indicates that President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika’s government deliberately banned the cattle movement from Malawi’s southern Lower Shire Valley to frustrate well-known business tycoon Muhammad Sidik Mia during the campaign trail of the just ended by-elections.
Government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development in September this year restricted the moment and slaughtering of cattle in Chakwawa and Nsanje, saying ban was due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
The ban led to meat scarcity in the commercial capital Blantyre rendering some business players hopeless.
The ban also forced Mia who is now dining with the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to call off cattle slaughtering during campaign period.
And yesterday, the Ministry of Agriculture lifted the ban on the matter just after the heated by-election which has seen the ruling DPP performing miserably.
“The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development would like to inform the general public that it has been monitoring the progress of the recent foot and Mouth diseases in Chikwawa District within Shire Valley ADD. The Ministry is pleased to announce that surveillance of the disease indicate that there are no more new cases detected in the affected and that it has also successfully completed vaccination of cattle at risk of the disease.
“The development means the temporary suspension of the sale of the cattle has been lifted,” reads the statement in part.
The development has attracted debate on the social media with others questioning the authenticity of the ban.
Below is the statement;
