Nine residents of Phalombe have been convicted and fined K60, 000 each for failing to comply with an order against the sale of meat products, aimed at controlling the spread of the foot and mouth disease.
The ban was instituted by the District Agricultural Office on January 21, 2023.
The convicts were arrested following a crackdown by local authorities, and all pleaded guilty to the charges when they appeared before Third Grade Magistrate Topsy Mpinga.
The court also ordered that the meat that was being sold by the convicts be destroyed by burning and that the weighing scales and panga knives used be forfeited to the Malawi Government.
The foot and mouth disease has affected livestock in Phalombe, and these measures were taken to prevent further spread of the disease.
The authorities have urged the public to comply with the ban and other measures in place to control the spread of the disease.
