28 May 2026

The Principal Veterinary officer in Tsabong Dr Ketlhophilwe Dihawa, has confirmed cases of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Zone 13.

Dr Dihawa revealed this when updating councilors during a full council meeting in Tsabong recently. He said the disease has been detected at four farms in Zone 13, in the Molopo and Banyana farms which are situated in close proximity. The Banyana Farms also stretches into Zone 11.

The principal veterinary officer stated that despite the confirmed cases at the affected farms, communal areas in Zone 13 had not reported any cases of Foot and Mouth Disease.He said vaccination efforts had commenced following confirmation of the disease, in line with standard veterinary response procedures.

He said four vaccination teams were dispatched to vaccinate in-contact animals in Zone 13, with the exercise having started on May 13, 2026 and expected to conclude on June 10, 2026.

In addition, he said three surveillance teams were also put out to be on high alert of animal movement in the zone, while four blockade teams were also set to help in combating the fight against FMD.

Providing an update on vaccination progress, Dr Dihawa said Molopo Farms had an estimated 16 129 animals targeted for vaccination, of which 10 220 had already been vaccinated.

At Banyana Farms, he said, 18 000 animals were expected to be vaccinated, while 9 000 had so far received the vaccine.

He added that a booster vaccination was expected to commence a month after completion of the initial vaccination programme as part of ongoing efforts to contain and eradicate the disease. Dr Dihawa stressed that among some challenges faced by the vaccination teams, they noted inadequate animal handling facilities at vaccination points as well as shortage of manpower.

He said these challenges were affecting the pace of the vaccination process, although efforts continued to ensure all targeted animals were reached within the scheduled timeframe.

The teams are also faced with centrally based personnel, resulting in delays in response time and difficulties covering the intended farms set for vaccination. These challenges, Dr Dihawa emphasises, continued to place pressure on the vaccination exercise and overall disease control efforts.

Moreover, other general challenges faced by the Zone 13 vaccination teams include limited financial resources, which affect the procurement of fuel, vaccines, equipment and other operational requirements necessary for effective field work.

As part of the way forward, Dr Dihawa said the department aimed to complete the vaccination exercise by 10 June. 

“To strengthen the operation, two additional vaccination teams are expected to join the current four teams already in the field,” he said.

Dr Dihawa further mentioned that there were also plans to seek assistance from other government agencies in order to improve manpower, logistics and overall efficiency of the vaccination programme.

He explained that upon confirmation of FMD within the zone, standard disease control procedures were immediately implemented to curb further spread of the disease. Among the measures introduced are wheel baths and strengthened biosecurity protocols, including stop-and-search, and disinfecting points across the zone.

 He further noted that movement restrictions remained in force, with products from all cloven-hoofed animals, including meat and milk still prohibited from being moved within and outside the zone.

Currently, four stop-and-search points have been established in strategic areas across Zone 13. These are located at the Mmathethe intersection, Werda-Bray gate, Kokotsha and the Banyana Farms entrance.

The checkpoints are intended to reinforce surveillance and ensure strict compliance with disease prevention measures. ends