In the past few months, there has been a herd of marauding cattle on the roads and some streets in the urban areas. A lot has been said about the ownership and circumstances of these cattle but nothing concrete on who owns them.
There have been reports that the cattle belong to a certain gentleman who passed away but that he had used some form of black magic such that, whoever touches them dies. This is why no one has had the courage to gather and tie them, sell them or slaughter them for food.
For others, the cattle are part of a charm protecting the government of President Adama Barrow. Some believe that the cattle roaming the streets is not accidental but that they are a means of keeping those in government in power and to protect them from their enemies and ward off any evil intended for them.
Regardless of how ridiculous and laughable these beliefs might sound, there is no denying the hazard and nuisance these cattle cause to the public, particularly on a daily basis. They are a constant cause of fear of accidents occurring on our roads.
It has been observed that sometimes, these cattle move about as a herd and at other times, they go separately and cause nuisance on any road they choose to move on. This is something that has a potential of causing avoidable accidents leading to loss of lives and/or property.
A few weeks ago, the Gambia Police Force announced that leaving one’s animals loitering about on the roads is an offence chargeable under the law and that whosoever is found wanting will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Animal owners were therefore advised to control their animals to avoid causing any problems on the roads.
The problem of this herd of cattle on the other hand is the fact that the owner is not known so it is difficult to hold him/her accountable for any inconvenience they may cause. Perhaps if the owner or their family is located, it will be possible to put them under control.
Failing that, it becomes the responsibility of the government to find a way of controlling these cattle to avoid their marauding the streets and roads causing accidents. It will be very unfortunate if due to these cattle, an accident occurs in which human lives are lost.
The government is therefore called upon to take steps to avoid any accidents caused by these cattle. They must take the bull by the horn, almost literally in this instance, and put the cattle away from places where they can cause harm.
