BY MBONO MDLULI
LOBAMBA – Members of Parliament (MPs) are concerned by the impasse by within the veterinary department of the Ministry of Agriculture.
As a result, the legislators have come to the rescue of farmers by calling upon the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services (DLVS) to stop the impasse within the department, as it affects livestock farmers and, by extension, the nation.
This issue comes at a time when the country is at war with the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), which broke out especially in the Shiselweni Region. The rebuking came on August 20, 2025 in the House of Assembly, after a Select Committee report was tabled.
The Parliament Select Committee was tasked to probe the causes of the tensions within the DLVS. The report was tabled by Mayiwane MP Sicelo Prince Dlamini and was seconded by Sithobelweni MP Mancoba Sihlongonyane.
The MPs said they found that in their investigations, they found that there were many problems such that the whole Ministry of Agriculture found it difficult to work. The MPs said even Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka and Minister of Agriculture PS Sydney Simelane were sometimes ignored when they issued instructions on how things should be done.
The MPs said the tensions affected the whole livestock and veterinary industry in the country, such that things were no longer done according to the required standards, leading to the importation of animals whose health statuses were questionable.
Another problem that the tension allegedly caused was the continuation of cattle rustling. This was seen by some butcheries that accepted cattle for slaughter, without proper documentation.
Abattoirs were closed during the impasse to ensure that safety standards were followed when slaughtering animals. However, this caused an outcry among the farmers. The minister and the PS issued a statement, calling for the opening of the abattoirs. However, that was not listened to.
The impasse also affected the working of cordon guards, who ended up being instructed not to work on weekends. This is said to have caused problems, as animals had entered the country, without proper procedures.
Amid the investigation of the tension, Director of Livestock and Veterinary Services Dr Xolani Dlamini resigned. However, it is not clear whether he resigned because of the investigations or it is because tension within his office. His last day of work was July 31, 2025.
It transpired during the debate that before he resigned, Dr Dlamini had approached the Ministry of Public Service, asking for more cordon guards to be employed to fight the FMD, which was incoming. However, his plea is said to have fell on deaf ears.
The MPs also expressed concerns that there will be workers who will not respect ministers and PSs, who are appointed by the king. The MPs also called upon the cordon guards’ working conditions to be improved.
