21 Apr 2026

The fight against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is no longer just a policy issue, but a race against time.

Addressing concerned residents in Mmathethe recently, acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, said while vaccines were a vital tool, they were not a panacea.

“Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination is primarily designed to prevent the severity of the disease, but animal movement restriction and kraaling is the strategy to alleviate the virus,” Dr Dikoloti explained.

That was in response to one resident, Ms Doreen Moabe, who had called for increased funding for cordon fence maintenance and the re-introduction of the stray cattle programme to raise capital.

However, while he acknowledged the importance of infrastructure, Dr Dikoloti informed residents that while a government-led cordon fence was a long-term project that required significant logistics, budget and time and local kraal construction offered faster and more immediate method to throttle the spread of the virus.

He indicated that the primary route for transmission was not lack of medicine, but that of management.

He said the uncontrolled mingling of cattle at shared watering holes allowed the virus to hop from infected to susceptible animals with ease and the solution was proactive herding.

Dr Dikoloti also revealed that this year, the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) procured cattle at a total fee of P166 million at European Union (EU) selling prices. However, he said the subsequent FMD breakout had slammed the door on that lucrative market.

He urged farmers to prioritise the fight against FMD, saying it was a mammoth task that required concerted efforts.

“This is the time for all stakeholders to work in unison with government in combating FMD and treat the disease with the seriousness it deserves. If farmers could stand in unison in the fight against FMD, in a period of six months, Botswana will be able to defeat this virus and regain the EU market,” he added.

For his part, Mr Peter Siele, a former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and Ngwaketse South Member of Parliament, proposed a total war approach, which involved the House of Chiefs, Members of Parliament and mephato.

Mr Siele also highlighted the need to put hunger and national interest above partisan lines.

“Politics will not feed Botswana. An empty stomach should respond to food available at that moment, poultry meat and cabbage is now an alternative,” Mr Siele said, highlighting how the outbreak had severely impacted the local beef industry and forced Batswana to radically change their diets.

One resident, Mr Shima Ratlhageng called for containment areas and better cattle crushes, while Mr Kagiso Mathiba had asked if there was any way possible to allow the public to slaughter cattle when they had events.

However, the veterinary services director, Dr Segale Kobedi, reminded the public that infrastructure was only as good as the people using it and that re-zoning was critical but focus should currently be prevention of the FMD spread.

Responding to concerns about dilapidated facilities, Dr Kobedi noted that many crushes were not falling apart due to age, but were being vandalised by the public. He warned that the law would be firm, owing the high volume of movement in Zone 11 and informed residents of the hefty P5 000 fine for allowing cattle to cross into an FMD-free zone.

The director also informed residents that government would continue vaccinations with or without cattle crushes. The burden now shifts to the farmers. To win back the EU market and protect the P166 million investment, the strategy is to keep cattle apart, kraaled and watched. ENDS