Note to Editors: Please note Tim Brauteseth, MPL sound bite in English
The Bhambanana Abattoir project – a facility meant to uplift livestock farmers within uMkhanyakude District – may yet become a beacon of hope after years of failure following a recent cash injection of R6.1million by the Agribusiness Development Agency (ADA).
Further steps in the right direction include the involvement of the National Agricultural Marketing Council and the Red Meat Abattoir Association in developing a business plan and infrastructure assessment.
Bhambanana Abbatoir has, for many years, been a major concern for the DA. A facility that was meant to provide support instead became a symbol of government inefficiency and poor planning. Initiated in 2012 and constructed at a cost of R82.9million, the abattoir was envisioned as a solution to the economic devastation caused by the 2011 Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak.
The facility was meant to provide a safe, regulated space for livestock slaughter, enabling trade in meat rather than live animals. However, due to glaring structural defects and non-compliance with national meat safety regulations, the facility has remained non-operational for nearly a decade.
The DA has consistently called for accountability in infrastructure spending and the Bhambanana Abattoir is a textbook case of how poor oversight and lack of technical due diligence can derail a well-intentioned project. The absence of basic operational features, including proper slaughter line height, sterilization points and adequate washing facilities, has rendered the facility unusable until now.
The DA strongly supports the proposal for a public-private partnership (PPP) model to operationalise the facility. By involving local livestock associations, traditional authorities and private sector operators, we can ensure that the abattoir becomes a sustainable economic hub. This model will not only create jobs but also empower local farmers, improve food safety, and stimulate the rural economy of northern KZN.
The DA urges KZN’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) to fast-track the handover processes, resolve outstanding utility and land issues and ensure full transparency in the appointment of operational partners.
The people of uMkhanyakude deserve better. As part of KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA will continue to monitor this project closely to ensure that public funds are used effectively and that the Bhambanana Abattoir finally delivers on its promise.