The Francistown City Council (FCC) has resolved to send a delegation to meet with President Ian Khama in order to discuss the closed Francistown Abattoir.
During a council meeting on Monday, Francistown Mayor, Shadreck Nyeku, revealed that efforts to try and address the situation with the Ministry of Local Government have since failed and the abattoir has been closed for a long period of time, “which is badly impacting on the people of Francistown”.
“We have agreed to send a delegation soon to try and speak to the President because efforts to try and solve the problem with the Ministry of Local Government are failing,” he said.
The Francistown Abattoir, which began its operations in 1984, was shut down last year after a report from the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) and the council engineers revealed that the state of the structure was hazardous to the lives of customers and even employees.
According to the DVS inspection report, the abattoir is not complying with the Livestock and Meat Hygiene Act and, in addition, the building has some structural defects that could result in its collapse.
Nyeku said that the closure of the abattoir had affected people in Francistown because now some had started slaughtering animals everywhere, which could pose a health hazard to the consumers.  
“The closure of this abattoir is posing a health hazard to the people of Francistown because some people are going to buy meat that is not inspected,” he said.
