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This comes at a time when police closed down about 140 butcheries and 110 restaurants while 13 butcheries were condemned countrywide during an operation code named Inyama Uyithethephi/Nyama Yabvepi.
The meat dealers were closed for selling uninspected meat from beasts suspected to have been stolen and slaughtered in unregistered abattoirs.
Police have expressed concern about vendors who sell different kinds of meat in open spaces and houses, a development that police have described as unhealthy as some of them reportedly sell contaminated meat.
In an interview yesterday, police national anti-stock theft coordinator Assistant Commissioner Bernard Dumbura, said there were places where vendors sell meat in open spaces, known as home butcheries.
He said the blitz on street vendors and home butcheries would also target workers at abattoirs who should be medically examined before being allowed to work, as a way of preventing communicable diseases.
“Operation Inyama uyithethephi/Nyama yabvepi is an ongoing campaign and we will continue doing it in provinces. From time to time we conduct it at national level and between 18 and 26 June we launched the blitz targeting food outlets, abattoirs and butcheries as these provided ready markets for cattle rustlers. We will continue closing butcheries and restaurants if they are found illegally selling meat or dealing in cattle,” said Asst Comm Dumbura.
Police are working in conjunction with health inspectors from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and local authorities to check whether all places selling meat are fit for such purposes.
Those found with meat, whether travelling or at some premises would be asked to prove that it is properly registered.
“We are also targeting home butcheries where vendors sell meat on streets and at houses. In Bulawayo there are places like Cowdray Park, Makokoba, city centre and Nketa to some extent, where this trade is common. Some of these people are selling contaminated meat and we cannot allow such activities to go on as they put communities at risk of diseases,” Asst Comm Dumbura said.
He appealed to members of the community to assist police with information about people who operate home butcheries.
“We are checking whether livestock was slaughtered at inspected slaughter houses and if the meat is fit for human consumption,” said Asst Comm Dumbura.
The development would also see those who transport meat for personal functions like weddings clashing with the law as in terms of Statutory Instrument 50/1995, meat should be slaughtered and sold at registered slaughter houses while those who move livestock or meat should have carcass movement permit.
“Whoever wants to transport meat should first go to the police and get an affidavit to be given a carcass movement permit. Slaughter of livestock should be done at registered abattoirs and those transporting meat for personal consumption should have it inspected first,” said Asst Comm Dumbura.
According to the Instrument, any meat more than 10kgs and in transit is liable to inspection and should have a permit.
The Instrument specifies that no meat shall be offered for commercial purposes unless it has been slaughtered at registered slaughter houses classified as Grade A-C.
Last week’s blitz led to a total of 1 070 arrests, 1 029 for stock theft related cases and 44 for cattle rustling. Asst Comm Dumbura said 69 cattle were recovered while about 832kgs of meat were destroyed.
Online Reporter