20 Feb 2026

The Ministry of Lands and Agriculture has acknowledged that cordon fences are frequently damaged or destroyed by veldt fires, with the risk heightened when surrounding areas are not adequately debushed. 

Answering a parliamentary question on Wednesday, acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, explained that the ministry undertook debushing along cordon fences as part of its maintenance programme.  “This facilitates patrols, prevents bush encroachment and helps protect the fences from veld fires,” Dr Dikoloti said. 

However, he said resource constraints made it difficult to keep pace with maintenance, particularly for inter-zonal fences.  He noted that internal self-assessments (DVS audits) and external evaluations had underscored Botswana’s vulnerability to Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) due to damaged cordon fences.  For instance, he said following a 2013 audit, the European Union suspended imports of beef from Zone 4a (Boteti) owing to a non-negligible risk of FMD linked to veld fires. 

“Faced with escalating challenges, including limited resources, persistent vandalism and wildlife damage, the ministry has adopted a multipronged approach to combating FMD. This combines technical and social interventions to prevent the disease’s spread,” he said. 

Key measures, he said included promoting the Herding for Health (H4H) model, which encouraged sustainable grazing practices and actively engaging communities in the maintenance of veterinary cordon fences.  Dr Dikoloti further emphasised that community ownership of animal health programmes was essential for long-term sustainability.  

He highlighted the crucial role of local authorities and Dikgosi leadership in mobilising communities and maintaining engagement. 

Examples, he said included ongoing efforts in Mophato in Bobirwa and enhanced livestock herding in the Okavango, which had contributed to reduced stock theft and extended periods without FMD outbreaks in those areas. 

Also, he said the ministry planned to scale up these initiatives by leveraging programmes such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF)-supported Ecosystem-Based Adaptation and Mitigation in Communal Rangelands project, launched by the President in May last year.  He was responding to a question by Boteti West MP, Mr Sam Digwa, who sought clarification on whether the minister was aware that cordon fences were frequently destroyed by veld fires, particularly when surrounding areas were not properly debushed. 

Mr Digwa also wanted to know if there were measures in place to prevent such incidents and protect the critical infrastructure, as well as the assessment that had been made on the potential risk that the destruction of cordon fences posed to the beef industry, particularly regarding increased vulnerability to the spread of FMD from red zone to green zone areas. ENDS