02 Jun 2026

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Coordinator for Vaccination, Dr Kingsley Siele, has confirmed the presence of FMD in Molapowabojang while clarifying that there are currently no reported cases in Kgomokasitwa and Kanye.

Dr Siele was addressing allegations of new cases in Kanye and Kgomokasitwa during a kgotla meeting convened by the Member of Parliament for Kanye West, Mr Victor Phologolo in Ga-Segwagwa on Tuesday.

Speaking in an interview with BOPA on Wednesday, Dr Siele said the cases were detected last Wednesday and Thursday in two separate kraals in Molapowabojang.

To curb the spread of the disease, Dr Siele said a biosecurity checkpoint had been established at the Magotlhwane turn, next to Ga-Moswaane, to monitor traffic coming from the southern part of the region and prevent the disease from reaching areas such as Kanye.

He added that authorities were strengthening operations at the Mmathethe checkpoint to ensure all necessary control measures were effectively implemented.

Vaccination efforts were also being intensified across the zone, with teams extending services from Kgomokasitwa along the Magotlhwane main road into the southern part beyond the Moswaane river stream.

To this end, an emergency vaccination campaign had been instituted to cover Tshweneyagae, Molapowabojang, Dipotsana, and extend all the way to Mogojogojo to contain disease spread.

“The prevalence of these new FMD cases is worrying as it continues to undermine our efforts towards completely eradicatee the disease in the region. This setback further delays our progress in meeting the necessary conditions to reopen export gates for beef trade with the EU market,” he said.

Dr Siele highlighted ongoing collaborative efforts, noting that Botswana, in partnership with the European Union (EU) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), has rolled out targeted training interventions on best practices for FMD prevention and control.

These trainings focus on improved biosecurity measures, early detection, proper vaccination protocols, and movement control.

During the kgotla meeting, Member of Parliament for Kanye West, Mr Victor Phologolo, urged livestock farmers in the affected areas to fully cooperate with veterinary officers on control measures, including movement restrictions and vaccination programmes.

He also called on residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious symptoms in their cattle immediately to the nearest veterinary office.

Kanye Police Station Commander, Superintendent Onkgomoditse Sekaba-Masala, addressed the community on harmful practices contributing to the disease’s spread.

“We are seeing recurring issues where some members of the public engage in illegal slaughtering of cattle and then attempt to disguise the meat as having been legally bought from the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC),” she said.

“These actions seriously undermine disease control efforts by allowing potentially infected meat to circulate without proper veterinary inspection.” ends