Lobola cattle lost as FMD outbreak destroys livelihoods in Mpophomeni

When foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) swept through communal grazing lands near Mpophomeni, eMashingeni resident Mxolisi Zuma lost three cattle he had intended to use to pay lobola — a loss he says has pushed his future plans “a few steps back”. The devastating impact of the outbreak has stretched far beyond commercial farms, cutting deeply into the lives of rural families who depend on cattle not only for survival, but for culture, dignity and future plans. In the rural communities of eMashingeni and Hhaza, near Mpophomeni township, residents are watching helplessly as their cattle fall ill — animals that represent generational wealth, cultural identity and, in some cases, the promise of marriage.

For Zuma, the outbreak has shattered a deeply personal dream. I was planning to pay lobola this year, but I have unfortunately taken a few steps backwards after losing three of my cattle. Those cattle were my future and were going to earn me a wife and bring her family and mine together.

He said he had built his small herd over several years, carefully nurturing the animals with the hope that they would one day be used for cultural events and even to pay lobola for his girlfriend. But when FMD swept through the area, he lost three cattle, a financial blow estimated at about R30 000. “It destroyed me.

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That was not just money. That was my pride, my plans, my family’s hopes. It is still a hard pill to swallow even today because I cannot believe that, in such a short space of time, I lost those cattle and still fear losing more,” said Zuma. Like many residents in the area, his cattle graze in shared communal fields, making it almost impossible to isolate sick animals.

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