Cattle deaths devastate rural livelihoods in Insiza

Villagers in Insiza South’s Gankabezi area are grappling with a devastating cattle disease that has wiped out herds and left families struggling to survive, exposing broader challenges facing rural livestock farmers in Zimbabwe.

The mysterious illness, which farmers say causes internal rotting and primarily attacks the lungs, has killed dozens of cattle in recent months.

Traditional remedies have proven ineffective, and villagers say the lack of veterinary support and dipping facilities has worsened the crisis.

For communities like Gankabezi, cattle are not just animals, they are a store of wealth, a source of food, draught power, and income for school fees and building projects. With herds decimated, households now face financial ruin.

“We used to earn a living by selling cattle to take kids to school and even for building. I sold some to buy food,” said Bekithemba Thebe, who lost 21 cattle.

The scale of the loss has been traumatic.

Gift Ndlovu, who lost his entire herd save for a few calves, described the emotional toll: “I sometimes lose my mind when I think about the property that I lost.”

Some families lost multiple cattle in a single day. Roger Ncube said he buried 15 animals in quick succession.

The situation was dire, with some villagers losing multiple cattle in a single day. Roger Ncube, who lost 15 cattle, recounted the painful experience.

“They were dying in numbers a day, we eventually had to leave some to rot because of the sheer rate of death,”he said.

Village head Sydney Mthuthuki Mkhwananzi said he lost 19 cattle and recounted how his father died from stress after losing five animals in three days.

Beyond disease, villagers are also contending with poor infrastructure and recurrent droughts. Their only borehole has been vandalised by thieves, and there is no reliable access to vaccines or dipping services.

“Now we are being told that there is no vaccine, cows do not dip,” said Zephaniah Nkomo, who lost 10 cattle.

Farmers’ organisations confirm the situation is not isolated.

Clarkson Matshaya from the Umzingwane District Farmers Association said cattle in other wards had also succumbed to January disease, hunger, and veld fires caused by artisanal miners. Theft of livestock is also on the rise.

Matshaya urged farmers to produce fodder and called on authorities to provide sustainable solutions.

“Farmers must have access to water in Umzingwane and Ncema dams for fodder production. Rehabilitation and solarising dip tanks would also help,” he said.

The villagers also appealed for urgent government and donor support, including veterinary services, vaccines, and restocking programmes with cattle or goats to restore livelihoods and prevent further despair.

The Matabeleland South Veterinary Services Department did not respond to questions sent to them at the time of publishing.