RPO NOORD-KAAP POOG OM DRUK OP STAATSVEEARTSE TE VERLIG / RPO NORTHERN CAPE AIMS TO RELIEVE PRESSURE ON STATE VETS
RPO NOORD-KAAP POOG OM DRUK OP STAATSVEEARTSE TE VERLIG
Dis nie aldag dat mens ‘n desperate boodskap ontvang van ‘n regeringsamptenaar wat uit die goedheid van haar hart en ten bate van die hele boeregemeenskap ‘n pleidooi lewer nie.
Dis presies wat op 31 Julie 2024 gebeur het toe die DGT, Lizaan Cilliers van die Prieska-distrik, ‘n noodkreet uitgestuur het om die landbouers in die gemeenskap te help.
Dit het aan die lig gekom dat daar positiewe gevalle van brandsiek in die Marydale-distrik geïdentifiseer is. Daar word vermoed dat dit al ‘n geruime tyd teenwoordig was en verkeerdelik deur eienaars as ringwurm gediagnoseer is. Die eienaars is nie in ‘n posisie om die nodige entstowwe en dip aan te koop wat noodsaaklik is om die siekte onder beheer te bring nie en Cilliers het gevra dat enigiemand wat kan help om die nodige aankope te kan doen, haar moet kontak. Dit is tot voordeel van die hele gemeenskap as die verspreiding van die siekte verhoed word.
Wat die saak vererger het, is dat Cilliers se brandstofkaart buite werking was toe sy haar voertuig wou volmaak om dienste te lewer, waarna sy dit uit haar eie sak betaal het. Dit is weens die beperkings wat geplaas word op die afstande wat hierdie tegnici in ‘n maand mag aflê. In die Noord-Kaap is die dorpe ver van mekaar af en weens ‘n erge tekort aan personeel, moet een persoon die werk van twee doen met ‘n begroting vir net een personeellid. Dit is die realiteit in die Noord-Kaap, nie net in dié distrik nie, maar ook in vele ander distrikte.
Die RPO Noord-Kaap het na ‘n verspreider van die benodigde bestanddele uitgereik, maar is meegedeel dat voorrade uiters beperk is. Die ernstige nood en gevaarlike toestande waaronder staatsveeartse werk is ook onder die aandag van Kobus van den Berg gebring, ‘n lid van die Nasionale Raad van Provinsies. Hy het die versekering gegee het die skrywe onder die raadslede se aandag gebring sal word en dat hy die nodige vrae aan die departemente sal rig, wat dan binne 60 dae terugvoer moet gee.
Die RPO Noord-Kaap sal voortgaan om druk op die nodige gesaghebbendes te plaas te einde die probleem te oorkom.
RPO NORTHERN CAPE AIMS TO RELIEVE PRESSURE ON STATE VETS
It is not every day that one receives a desperate message from a government official who makes a plea out of the goodness of her heart and for the benefit of the entire farming community.
That’s exactly what happened on 31 July 2024 when the DGT, Lizaan Cilliers of the Prieska district, sent out a distress call to help the farmers in the community.
It has come to light that positive cases of scab have been identified in the Marydale-district. It is suspected that it has been present for some time and was wrongly diagnosed as ringworm by owners. The owners are not in a position to purchase the necessary vaccines and dip which are essential to bring the disease under control and Cilliers requested that anyone who can help to make the necessary purchases contact her. It is to the benefit of the whole community if the spread of the disease is prevented.
What makes matters worse is that Cilliers’ fuel card was out of order when she wanted to fill up her vehicle to provide services, after which she paid for it out of her own pocket. This is due to the restrictions placed on the distances these technicians may cover in a month. In the Northern Cape, the towns are far apart and due to a severe shortage of staff, one person has to do the work of two with a budget for just one staff member. This is the reality in the Northern Cape, not only in this district, but also in many other districts.
The RPO Northern Cape reached out to a distributor of the required ingredients, but was told that supplies were extremely limited. The serious emergency and dangerous conditions under which state veterinarians work was also brought to the attention of Kobus van den Berg, a member of the National Council of Provinces. He gave the assurance that the letter will be brought to the council members’ attention and that he will direct the necessary questions to the departments, which must then give feedback within 60 days.
The RPO Northern Cape will continue to put pressure on the necessary authorities in order to overcome the problem.
