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Government has warned of serious legal consequences, including confiscation and destruction of affected animals, for anyone violating the Animal Health Act No. 27 of 2010.
Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Permanent Secretary, Dr. Max Choombe, said the Department of Veterinary Services is mandated by the Act to prevent and control livestock diseases, including Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), a highly contagious and deadly cattle disease.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Saturday, Choombe described CBPP as a disease of national economic importance that primarily attacks the lungs of cattle, causing severe respiratory illness, death rates of up to 50 percent, and devastating losses for the livestock sector.
“We wish to reiterate that the Animal Health Act strictly prohibits the movement of animals from a place known to be infected with CBPP without a Livestock Movement Permit,” Choombe said.
He disclosed that 70 cattle were slaughtered in Kalomo District, Southern Province, after being illegally moved from Moomba in Kazungula District, an area under CBPP quarantine.
According to Choombe, on July 29 and 30, 2025, the community-based CBPP Task Force in Nkandanzovu Veterinary Camp reported suspicious movements of cattle from Moomba and surrounding areas in Musokotwane Chiefdom.
The Kalomo District Veterinary Office swiftly responded, impounding 33 cattles in Nakalombwe and another 41 in Shankatwa, all without valid movement permits.
“Out of the 74 impounded animals, four died in transit to the holding pen in Kalomo,” he said.
Ownership of the animals was traced to Edify Mulilo and Lawrence Nsingo, who admitted moving them from Kazungula District, where live cattle movement was restricted due to confirmed CBPP cases.
Choombe said the Kalomo Subordinate Court granted an order for disposal of the animals in line with Section 6 of the Animal Health Act.
The owners, through their lawyers, challenged the order and sought an injunction, but the court dismissed the application, paving the way for the Department of Veterinary Services to carry out the disposal.
“We are aware of the public outcry following the legal action, but we wish to clarify that illegal movement of cattle from disease-prone areas poses a grave threat to the nation’s livestock health, productivity, and food security,” he said.
He explained that even seemingly healthy cattle can be silent carriers of CBPP and that the law does not allow for quarantining such animals. They must therefore be destroyed to prevent further spread.
Choombe urged farmers, transporters, and the public to stop illegal livestock movements, stressing that movement is only permitted for animals destined for the nearest abattoir, subject to inspection, testing, and issuance of a Livestock Movement Permit.
He assured the Ministry’s commitment to protecting animal health, safeguarding farmer livelihoods, and preserving national food security through strict enforcement of animal health laws.
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