Batswana need to do better to stop FMD

The Monitor Editor | Tuesday June 2, 2026 10:20

It is a clear signal that the government’s purse is empty and that our own behaviour has left veterinary officials fighting with one hand tied behind their backs. We have been here before. During COVID-19, many of us thought we knew better. We ignored simple rules, we carried on as if the danger was someone else’s problem, and the virus took lives and left our economy on its knees. We are still broke from that experience. Yet now, with FMD spreading in the southern part of the country, it looks like business as usual.

A fence will not save us if the people refuse to cooperate. Acting Minister of Agriculture Dr Edwin Dikoloti has pleaded with farmers to do the basics. Use tree branches now to close gaps where cattle cross the border. Allow veterinary officers onto your land for inspection. Report suspicious movements of animals. Instead, he tells a jarring experience in which some farmers chase officers away. Others learn about containment plans and drive their cattle out of the zone before the net closes. This is not just foolish; it is a betrayal of every farmer who is trying to do the right thing. A single infected beast moved under the cover of darkness can spread poverty throughout the whole country.

The same selfishness is seen in the theft of gates and poles from cordon fences. Can we not see that every stolen gate is an open door for the disease? This is not a game. FMD does not care about your political views, your impatience, or your desire to make a quick pula at the expense of your neighbour. It moves silently on the hoof, and it destroys markets. When we lose our beef export status, everyone suffers: the small-scale farmer in Otse, the feedlot owner, and the abattoir worker who suddenly has no wages.

We must stop thinking that the government will fix everything whilst we carry on as we please. The acting minister was frank: resources are lacking. That is why prisoners are being roped in. That is why he called on Batswana to start containing themselves using tree branches. Does this sound like a government with money to spare? We are still nursing the wounds of COVID-19, and we cannot afford another disaster that we could have prevented.

The cure is in our hands. Keep your cattle kraaled and herd them away from the red zone. If you must move them, contact veterinary officers for advice and permits. If you see someone selling meat or milk from a restricted area, speak up.