Tutume District Council Chairperson, Tabona Masole, has accused Botswana Congress Party (BCP) councillors of playing politics over the long-dormant Tutume abattoir, which has been non-operational for nearly 10 years. The accusation follows a heated council session that saw 13 BCP councillors walk out in protest after their resolution to keep the abattoir under council control was rejected.
Masole, who chairs the council under the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), claims the BCP is scoring cheap political points at the expense of practical solutions. “They want the abattoir back in council. How does that make sense? Where is the council going to get money to run it when it has failed for almost 10 years?” Masole questioned in an interview with The Voice.
The council chairperson explained that while the BCP-dominated caucus passed a resolution against privatization, the full council rejected it, opting instead to move forward with outsourcing the facility. “It’s a democratic process. A party caucus resolution was rejected in council, and a new resolution was made to privatize the abattoir,” Masole said. “Unfortunately, BCP walked out and did not take part in the process. It’s their democratic right, but it doesn’t help the people.”
Masole accused the BCP of setting the council up for failure, arguing that their stance was a political strategy rather than a genuine effort to revive the abattoir. “They knew there was no way we could have the abattoir running in two and a half years. It was a political strategy that, unfortunately, helps no one but the BCP,” he said.
A History of Failure
Masole recalled that the abattoir was already non-operational when he joined the council in 2019. As chairperson of the Financial Committee, he oversaw a 2022 resolution to outsource the facility. However, when the BCP took control of the council in 2023, the resolution was left unimplemented. “What we are simply doing is implementing these resolutions,” Masole explained.
Privatization as the Way Forward
Masole emphasized that councils across Botswana lack the capacity to run abattoirs effectively. “We’re not a business. This abattoir used to slaughter 10 beasts per day, so did the Gweta one. That is not enough. Do you know how many butcheries we have in this district? We need to privatize these abattoirs and have them running at full capacity for the benefit of everyone,” he said.
The Tutume abattoir saga highlights the challenges of balancing political agendas with practical solutions, as the council seeks to revive a facility that could boost local economic activity and food security.
