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Peter Matika, Senior Reporter

“ALL I have now to my name are several cowbells that are hung behind the door,” says a farmer who has lost all his herd of cattle to the dreaded January disease.

Mrs Thulani Mpofu shows some of the bells removed from her dead cattle. She lost 50 cows to the disease

While this farmer has to rebuild his herd from zero, other small-scale farmers and villagers from PBS Village, ward 18 in Fort Rixon in Matabeleland South Province’s Insiza District who have been put into a corner and are losing hundreds of cattle to theileriosis — better known as the January disease — have turned to experimental medicine and various vaccines in a desperate effort to save their cattle.

Mr Nkani Khoza, a farmer in the area who has lost 21 beasts to the outbreak, revealed that villagers who are frantically trying to save their livestock, have resorted to unorthodox measures.

“The situation is dire as you can see, there are only a handful of cattle grazing in the pastures. Through consultations with other farmers and animal doctors, we are now administering various medicines and vaccines,” said Khoza.

Mr Nkani Khoza with some of the medication he bought to save his remaining cattle. Farmers have resorted to experiment with a variety of medicines to contain the disease

Some of the medicine includes vitamins, antibiotics and methylated spirit, which they inject into the cows as a preventative measure.

Khoza said he had been working tirelessly with several villagers now depending on him for medicines and tick dips.

Mr Nkani Khoza

“The medicines are expensive but we have to assist each other as a community. Many here rely on livestock to survive and that is the very livestock that is dying and needs to be saved,” said Khoza

Mrs Thulani Mpofu shows some of the bells removed from her dead cattle. She lost 50 cows to the disease.

A villager and widow in the area Mrs Thulani Mpofu said when her livestock was affected, they just became docile.
“I am a widow and this is all I had left to survive right now my pen is empty.

I have nowhere to start. Even selling meat is useless because everyone here has meat. I really wonder what the vet department’s purpose is when things are left like this. All they told us was to religiously dip our cattle, which we do but they continue dying. All I have now to my name are several cowbells which are hung behind the door,” said Mpofu.

File picture: A farmer examines a cow that succumbed to January disease in Fort Rixon

Another villager, Eden Ncube said after administering vaccines, they could not milk their cows.
“We will soon be faced with hunger. We cannot milk our cows anymore because of these medicines and tick dips. What are we going to consume if this thing is not contained,” said Ncube.

He said cattle buyers had found a base where they could buy cheap cattle for resale.
“A beast can go for as low as US$80 now because people are afraid of losing out completely.

“There are lots of trucks coming in and out of this area and we wonder who and how they are cleared yet there is an outbreak like this. This could be a national disaster if urgent measures are not taken,” said Ncube.