VET BOSS IN BUFFALO STORM

MBABANE – As the hullaballoo over the arrival of the three buffaloes from Zambia seemed to have died down, a storm has been brewing between the PS in the Ministry of Agriculture and the director of Veterinary Services and Livestock Services.

As a result, relations between Principal Secretary (PS) Bongani Masuku and the Director of Veterinary Services and Livestock Services, Dr Xolani Dlamini, have been at their lowest ebb, following the arrival of His Majesty King Mswati III’s three buffaloes from Zambia.

Following the ban of beef exports from the country to European Union countries, the PS accused Dlamini of writing a letter to the EU, which had the implication that the country’s authorities were the ones who did not authorise the ‘destruction’ of the buffaloes as recommended by his department.

The said letter, according to Masuku, resulted in samples from the buffaloes en route to a testing facility in Pirbright being detained at Heathrow Airport in London.

“There was no reason to bring in the two heads of State (Edgar Lungu and HMK III) in the write up. According to information provided by DHL, the same letter you wrote to Pirbright was attached in the parcel and covered with the label. It was seen when the label was removed at Heathrow and it created problems,” said Masuku.

According to Masuku, as a director, Dlamini had the responsibility of protecting the country and its leaders. Masuku alleged that Dlamini completely denied having written the letter resulting in the detention of the samples at the airport.
The PS further allegedly accused Dlamini of refusing to facilitate the lifting of the quarantine at Malindza, after the buffaloes had tested negative to foot and mouth at a Pretoria laboratory.

Masuku has issued a minute suspending Dlamini from acting as a delegate between the Kingdom of Eswatini and the World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE), allegedly without consultation.

The director is being investigated for alleged misconduct emanating from the arrival of the three buffaloes from Zambia.
The buffaloes were a gift for His Majesty King Mswati III from Zambia President Edgar Lungu. They arrived in the country in September 2017.
The European Union suspended the importation of beef from the country following the arrival of the buffaloes. The ban has since been lifted.

The principal secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture has appointed Amos Zwane, Mkhululi Mamba and Louis Hlatshwako to conduct an enquiry into Dlamini’s conduct leading to the country being banned from exporting beef to the European Union.

The director has taken the PS, and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to court for an order setting aside the institution of the enquiry and the appointment of the enquiry panel members.

Responding

He is represented by Musa Sibandze of Musa M. Sibandze Attorneys. Government is yet to file responding papers in the matter. The veracity of Dlamini’s allegations is still to be tested in court.

Dlamini alleged that the PS accused him of unilaterally reporting the arrival of the buffaloes with an intention to sabotage beef exports to the European Union (EU). He described the minute by which he was suspended as effectively suspending the country’s membership to the OIE, despite that such membership was ratified.

According to the director, he had the responsibility to inform the EU and the OIE of the importation of the buffaloes and the mitigating factors the country had taken since Eswatini has a status of being free of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) without vaccination.

He said that status allowed the country to participate through Swaziland Meat Industries in the exportation of beef to EU countries.
“Transparency is a requirement both under the European Union and OIE and accordingly, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture was informed by myself that the EU should have been informed of the importation of these animals within 24 hours,” he alleged.

Dlamini said the necessity to inform the EU emanated from Zambia’s status with regard to the foot and mouth disease, where it has allegedly not been eradicated and that buffaloes are known carriers of the disease.

He stated in his application in court that the minister and PS allegedly endorsed the intended action of notifying the EU and the OIE according to the country’s national obligations.

According to the director, the EU was also informed about the country’s mitigation efforts, including the quarantining of all dip tanks within a radius of 10 kilometres.

Dlamini told the court that the EU directorate responded on September 19, 2017 and advised that all exports or issuance of export certificates by Eswatini be suspended until the foot and mouth status of the buffaloes had been thoroughly clarified or the buffaloes were to be destroyed.

He alleged that he discussed the EU’s advice with the minister on September 21 last year, before he issued the directive suspending all beef exports to the EU until further notice.

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