By Ntonhle Mzileni
MBABANE – The Ministry of Agriculture has extended the suspension for the ban of animal slaughter in butcheries until August 2024, to ensure that butcheries are legally competent for slaughtering in Eswatini.
This comes after a press statement by Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka released on January 11, 2024, where he highlighted some processes of finding a seamless way of implementing the legislation, and to provide assistance where required for businesses to be ready to transition to the new dispensation without serious negative effects on their operations and the industry. Which was anticipated to take about four months.
Yesterday, (Monday, June 10, 2024) Minister Tshawuka said that those affected were given helpful ways to use so that they can start working, and reduce the health risks to emaSwati that may be imposed by meat products that could be contaminated when animals are not slaughtered in the most hygienic way. Therefore, butchery owners are encouraged to build slaughter slabs because the concrete is easy to clean. Tshawuke also announced that the date has been extended to August 2024, and the ministry will be checking the compliance by the butchery owners.
