When Cattle Fall Silent Nation

In Molepolole, a sombre weekend unfolded under tents of grief where something deeply familiar was missing, the lowing of cattle and the ritual slaughter that has for generations, marked a dignified Setswana farewell. Funerals went on. Prayers were said.

Tears flowed. Pots simmered. But no beast was slaughtered.

Families improvised, serving chicken, samp and beans, cabbage, soup and bogobe (thick porridge). Stomachs were filled, but hearts felt the absence. The missing beef was more than just meat, it was culture, honour and identity.

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This quiet cultural disruption reflects a much larger crisis. Botswana’s cattle long regarded as a symbol of wealth, security and pride, have become frozen assets under the government’s restrictions following the recent suspected cases of Foot and Mouth Disease in the North East region. The ban on the movement and slaughter of cloven-hoofed animals is felt far beyond farms and veterinary cordons.

It has reached kitchens, funeral grounds, school lists and shop counters. In a country where livestock is often regarded as the ‘second diamond’, the standstill feels like the nation itself is holding its breath. “Cattle are deeply intertwined with the identity and pride of Batswana,” said Mr Marumoagae Morogolwane, an elder from Goo Ra Sune Ward, speaking during the funeral of the late Mr Baeti Lebang in Molepolole.

He explained that the deceased had been a respected livestock owner, and his herd symbolised years of hard work and perseverance. “To bury a man like that without slaughtering his own cattle is painful,” he said. “In Setswana tradition, an elder deserves a befitting funeral.

Some parts of the beast are shared with key family members like uncles and aunts. That carries deep meaning and shows the love and bond with the departed.” He added that the size of a man’s herd traditionally reflected his status in the community, a mark of dignity that could not be fully expressed under the current restrictions. “Regrettably, this was beyond our control.

We had to comply with the law, so the family bought meat from the Botswana Meat Commission to serve mourners,” he said. At another funeral in Goo Tshosa Ward, Mr Kefithwaemang Ratanti, shared similar sentiments. “A funeral without beef does not feel complete,” he said quietly.

“We are trying, but our hearts knows this is not how things are supposed to be. Still, we have no choice but to comply.”

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