By Mubanga Mubanga
Gwembe Valley advocate Wynter Muvombo says the outbreak of suspected anthrax in Sinazongwe is on account of people eating meat from infected animals.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Muvombo said the infection rate could be more widespread in the area than the three deaths recorded thus far with 11 infections.
“In the first place, it started with animals, cattle and goats, so now
it has come to human beings, we have lost three people already. Two have died in Muchekwa as a result of eating the meat, because as animals were dying, they were selling the meat of these animals. So due to consuming the same animals, it has resulted in anthrax to come into human contact and people have started developing sores. People have started dying in Muchekwa,” Muvombo said. “Suffice to say yesterday (Thursday) 11 cases were reported in Malima, and when you look at the stretch between Muchekwa and Malima you are talking of one corner end of Sinazogwe to another corner of Sinazogwe. It means anthrax now could have spread across the district.”
Muvombo said when the disease first broke out, cattle and goats were the ones dying but it has now affected humans.
He also said others who have come into contact with animals were developing sores.
Asked if the outbreak has been reported to relevant authorities for a solution to be found, Muvombo said a report has been given to Ministry of Livestock and the Ministry of Health as well as Ministry of local government.
“And we can put it on record that as we speak to you vet officers (veterinary officers) from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock they are on the ground to assess the situation,” he said.
He said the only challenge is that as measures are being put in place, the anthrax is gaining momentum and the situation had reached a dead end.
“As we are talking to you the situation has reached a dead end. Because what we only knew was that this disease was only in Muchekwa, but when you look at the… because what actually happened when people began developing these sores, they were hiding from the public you get the point. Right now, people have started coming out and we are only getting to know that even areas where we didn’t anticipate that they have got anthrax in Sinazogwe actually it has now been believed the whole district is hampered,” Muvombo said.
He said as Gwembe valley advocate, he is urging the government not to allow any meat to leave the district, because some people are selling this meat in Choma and Kalomo.
Muvombo said others are selling it as dry meat, so that it doesn’t look like fresh meat.
He said government should also use the local council in Sinazeze to scrutinise vehicles escaping the district to avoid the risk of spreading the disease across the country.
Asked about the cattle movement ban effected by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries some time back, Muvombo said, “yes it was announced but as you may know, we still have unscrupulous people, because in Sinazogwe we don’t have a check point, like for ZNS (Zambia National Service), we only have a local council. So people still use the bush to find a way of escaping the council,” Muvombo said.
“I will tell you one example, people are using kapambila way, kapambila river to Mapatizya and coming back using Kabanga, Mapatizya Road getting into Kalomo. People are also using Masuku Road which is from Maamba they are getting into Masuku and then they get into Choma. And that side if you check there is no checkpoint. And in Sinazogwe particularly, also using Maamba Road, using Batoka Maamba road people are now using Nanyangu road to divert from approaching the checkpoint at Sinazeze going into Muziyo getting into the main road and they see themselves away. So what we are saying is that government should ensure that security wings is activated, so that no more people escape the district in terms of selling the meat out of the district.”
Earlier, Muvombo explained that anthrax in sinazogwe started 2021.
“That is when we began detecting the symptoms, because animals started dying around that area that is 2021. In Sinazogwe that is under Mweemba Chiefdom, specifically under Muchekwa Ward, Muchekwa Ward that Muchekwa Ward is on the coast of Lake Kariba, we are told from the expert that this resulted because of hippos who were getting into contact with these animals. And eventually these animals started dying around that time,” said Muvombo. “From there, 2022 the persistence of cattle dying continued, but not much was done. Early 2023, actually l visited the area as a Gwembe valley advocate, to try to see if at all we can do advocacy on trying to help people around that area. What we discovered is that, actually we have got families, we have got homes where they are literally not having any cases… people had maybe 15, 20, 30, 40 cattle as we speak to you right now they have closed their kraals, because they can’t access any animal, because they are dying rapidly, like every day they are animals are dying.”
