John Cassim
Harare
The Town Council, at Plumtree that borders with Botswana, has warned farmers and the general public that with effect Monday February 13, “all stray livestock will be impounded.”
“This is in line with Statutory Instrument 102 of 2015, Protection of Lands and Natural Resources By-Law as read with the Stock trespass Act 19:14,” a public notice recently issued by the council reads.
The decision comes after numerous complaints by motorists that stray livestock were the primary cause of accidents and loss of human lives along the Bulawayo – Plumtree highway.
In 2015 the then Chronicle Editor, Mduduzi Mathuthu survived a horrific car crash when his BMW – X5 hit a cow and side swiped an oncoming vehicle, along the Plumtree Road.
The decision to come up with a law allowing enforcement agents to impound stray livestock, was mooted in 2014, following yet another fatal accident that claimed one life of a Malawian national and injured nine people, including two toddlers.
The then Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Obert announced that Cabinet had approved the enactment of the law.
To curb further losses on the Zimbabwean highways, Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara), erected some fence along the roads but in some areas along the Byo-Plumtree road and Bulawayo Hre roads the fence was stolen or cut allowing animals to graze by the road side.