By Bongiwe Dlamini

MBABANE:Dr Roland Dlamini,the Director of Veterinary and Livestock Services in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives says,as Government,they expect all butchery owners to follow the Veterinary Public Health Act by ensuring that,livestock is slaughtered at abattoirs around the country in order to meet the required health standards.

Responding to this Swaziland News on Sunday, the Director said, he was failing to understand why some butchery owners were against the recent decision that seeks to ensure that meat sold in butcheries meet the required health standards.

“It’s in the law, we are just enforcing the law because in every business, there are certain standards required.In this regard,the Veterinary Public Health Act requires that livestock must be slaughtered within abattoirs and be approved by inspectors.That others were committing a crime by slaughtering livestock within their premises does not mean it’s wrong to enforce the law”, said the Director of Veterinary and Livestock Services when speaking to editor Zweli Martin Dlamini.

The Director was responding after former Mkhiweni Member of Parliament(MP) Machawe Mavuso told this publication that, Government through the Ministry of Agriculture was frustrating their businesses with the new directive.

“There are a few abattoirs in the country,is government suggesting that, butchery owners must travel long distances to have their livestock slaughtered at abattoirs?.Clearly they are systematically forcing butchery owners to buy meat at the Eswatini Meat Industries(SMI)”, said the former MP.

But Dr Roland Dlamini, the Director of Veterinary and Livestock Services in the Ministry of Agriculture maintained that, they “are enforcing the law” with the recent decision.