23 Apr 2026

Livestock farmers in areas surrounding the Goodhope District have been urged to remain vigilant and strictly adhere to control measures following the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), to ensure it remained contained.

 Addressing Molapowabojang residents during a kgotla meeting on Friday, the Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti as well as FMD Coordinator Dr Odireleng Thololwane warned that the highly contagious viral disease was spreading at an alarming rate.

 He stressed that effective containment would require collective effort, particularly from farmers located along the peripheries of the FMD containment zone.

 Dr Thololwane cautioned that the outbreak had already triggered a significant crisis in the country’s livestock and beef sector, urging farmers to fully comply with all control measures.

 He said while government continued to intensify surveillance, vaccination and biosecurity enforcement, farmers must also play their part by adopting basic biosecurity practices such as kraaling livestock and recognising early warning signs. 

“I have come to inform you that FMD is just nearby. 

It is time for you to change the way you have been doing things on your farms seemo se fetogile jaanong mo Zone 11, bolwetse bo tsene,” he warned. 

He noted that the outbreak had placed additional pressure on the animal health system, making it critical for farmers to act swiftly to prevent further spread.

 Dr Thololwane said the goal was to contain the virus within six months, particularly within the Borolong area and prevent it from spreading into the Ngwaketse region.

 He further emphasised the importance of preventing the disease from reaching areas linked to the Lobatse Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) abattoir, warning that such a development would have severe implications for the beef industry. 

Farmers were advised to ensure that their cattle do not stray into high-risk areas, including the red zone around Mmathethe. 

He cautioned that any cattle that crossed into infected zones should not be returned to unaffected areas. 

To strengthen community response, Dr Thololwane encouraged farmers to form clusters to monitor livestock around the clock, stressing that coordinated community action was key to protecting cattle from infection. 

In addition, Dr Thololwane also allayed fears that confirmed FMD cases at Ramatlabama were due to FMD contaminated feed from South Africa, adding there were rules and regulations that feed suppliers had to follow to ensure that their feed was safe for animal consumption and that inspections were carried out before feed was delivered as per the Cattle feed permit and international standards. 

Meanwhile, Molapowabojang residents have committed to repairing damaged border and roadside fences to help control livestock movement.

 Mr Moagi Setimela raised additional concerns, including the issue of unbranded stray cattle and lack of kraals among some farmers.  

He warned that unattended livestock sharing communal grazing land and watering points could accelerate the spread of the disease, calling for stricter control measures. 

Mr Emmanuel Letshabo echoed similar sentiments, urging farmers to work together to rehabilitate road fences and better manage livestock movement. 

J.S Beef Feedlot owner, Mr Jannie Strumpher, commended government for intensifying surveillance efforts but noted that the outbreak posed a serious setback to trade.

 He said farmers continued to incur operational costs without income due to restrictions and called for expanded market access and increased slaughter capacity at BMC.

 For his part, Dr Dikoloti assured residents that government would continue strengthening prevention and control measures to contain the disease within the designated zone. 

He urged farmers to strictly adhere to FMD protocols and cooperate fully with veterinary officers conducting surveillance in Zone 11, noting that response teams had already been deployed and required community support. ENDS