Harare: Zimbabwe has maintained its stance not to licence donkey abattoir operations citing lack of an enabling law.
The southern African country joins other African countries such as Tanzania that have halted the trade in donkey skins for traditional Chinese medicine.
A donkey abattoir was opened last year in Zimbabwe with a capacity to dress more than 70 animals per day but remains closed after government refused to licence its operations.
“The abattoir will remain there but the function will not be undertaken because the reasons are outside law,” the deputy director of veterinary public health, Jairrus Machakwa is quoted saying by state media.
“At this juncture we know there is no donkey abattoir that has been licensed or that can be licensed according to the existing legislation regardless of how smart the premises could be.”
Kenya last year temporarily banned the licensing of new donkey abattoirs following revelations that the animals face extinction due to the high demand for their products mainly by China.
Traditional Chinese medicine has long been blamed for threatening populations of tigers, rhinos and elephants. Now the industry’s demand for the humble donkey is drawing international scrutiny.
