17 Feb 2026

Certain livestock products, including UHT milk, pasteurised milk, sour milk and cooked products are exempt from restrictions on the movement of products from cloven hooved animals that government imposed following the recent outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). 

National Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) coordinator, Dr Bernard Mbeha told a special full council meeting of the North East District Council (NEDC) on Friday that moving the mentioned products across disease control zones was not a violation of the restrictions which were currently in place. 

Dr Mbeha noted that other products that people asked a lot about included firewood, thatching grass, sand, gravel and other aggregates, which he said were also not affected by the restrictions as they could not transmit the FMD. 

“Basically, the restriction covers cloven hooved animals, products from those animals like skins, hides, fresh milk, meat, bones, cattle feed, and dikgole as they have the potential of spreading the disease,” he said. 

Dr Mbeha also shed light on donkey meat, saying because of the lengthy the process of verifying through testing if it was indeed donkey meat, it could not be moved across zones. 

However, he said restrictions and checks at disease control checkpoints would remain heavier in Zones 6b, 3c, 3b, 6a and Zone 7 where searching and fumigation were being conducted rigorously to prevent the possible spread of FMD to disease-free areas. 

“The controls are concentrated mainly on zones in the North East District and in Bobonong, Tonota, Tutume, Nata and the rest of the Zones 6 up to Thalamabele Gate,” he said. 

Dr Mbeha stressed that the whole of the country was still locked because there were some animals that moved from Zone 6b where FMD outbreak was detected to other parts of the country. 

“These includes Masunga, Tutume, Lobatse, Palapye, Letlhakane and Selebi Phikwe,” he said, explaining that the Department of Veterinary Services was still tracing the livestock in question to examine and inspect it for possible FMD infection. 

Dr Mbeha highlighted that at the moment, the examination of animals that has been moved into Zone 6a was yet to be conducted as farmers were reluctant to bring their animals over, adding that their lack of cooperation delayed the process which was targeted to have been completed last week. 

He nonetheless stated that once the process was eventually completed, the Director of Veterinary Services would make a decision regarding whether the movement restrictions would be relaxed. 

As for the ongoing surveillance exercise, Dr Mbeha said it would continue in Zone 3b, 3c, 6a, 6b and Zone 7 to try and determine how far the disease has spread. 

On the other hand, he updated the meeting about vaccination of cattle, saying at Zone 6b covering the Matsiloje area the turnout for vaccination was low with only 4 000 of the expected about 6 000 cattle having been vaccinated. 

He said after the completion of the primary vaccination, a booster vaccination would follow after 28 days to ensure that the disease was exterminated. 

In response, councillor for Themashanga Mr Kudzani Tobokwani said there was need to educate officers manning the disease control gates on items prohibited to cross from FMD suspected zones as they disallowed and confiscated items not covered by the restrictions such as peanuts and ice-cream. 

Mr Tobokwani also indicated that resource constraints such as shortage of fencing materials and lack of transport hampered the work of the mephato that residents had assembled in Zone 6a and 6b to mend the disease control fences. 

Cllr for Zwenshambe/Gambule/Gungwe, Mr Tumelo Mhlambi urged fellow councillors to advise farmers to herd and kraal their livestock and to avail their cattle for vaccination. 

Cllr for Letsholathebe/Masunga Mr Shandulani Maunge had asked if donkey meat was allowed to cross zones since some would resort to it following the moratorium on the slaughter of cloven hooved animals. 

Another councillor Mr Vincent Mooketsi of Kgari/Moroka said farmers and people in the FMD affected areas wanted to defeat the disease but that government was working in isolation and not providing the necessary support such as the fencing materials required by the mephato.  BOPA