Gov't deploys fences in fresh FMD containment push
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday August 26, 2026 06:00
The development was revealed to Goodhope District Council (GDC) councillors during an address by chairperson, Gofaone Nkhwane. The civic leaders learnt that the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), under the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, is strengthening containment measures, including the construction of animal movement restriction fences within the disease control zone. “The fences are expected to play a critical role in preventing the uncontrolled movement of livestock, particularly cloven-hoofed animals, which can facilitate the transmission of FMD,” he said when addressing councillors during a full council meeting on Friday.
Nkhwane stated that the intervention was aimed at closing potential routes through which the disease could spread between villages and across borders. “These fences are designed to curtail uncontrolled movement of cloven-hoofed animals, prevent cross-border and inter-village transmission, and support surveillance and vaccination operations currently under way,” he added. The fencing initiative forms part of broader efforts by government to strengthen disease control measures in Zone 11, the chairperson revealed. Nkhwane noted that the strategy is expected to complement ongoing surveillance and vaccination programmes designed to contain the outbreak and reduce the risk of further transmission.
Moreover, he said restricting livestock movement is considered crucial in disease-control areas, as uncontrolled movement can undermine vaccination and surveillance efforts whilst creating opportunities for the disease to spread from affected areas to previously unaffected communities. The councillors were informed that the fencing programme is progressing in phases, prioritising high-risk corridors and areas with confirmed or suspected disease spread. “In support of this response, council has pledged one grader, one dozer, and two trucks to augment the fleet deployed in the fight against FMD,” Nkhwane said. “This necessary intervention will affect our normal grading schedule, and we ask for your indulgence as we prioritise the urgent response to the outbreak.
” The chairperson said protecting the district’s livestock economy and restoring stability in affected communities must remain their foremost priority. Additionally, he stated that these matters remind them that development cannot be separated from the challenges they face. Nkhwane stressed that the investment prospects arising from the recent China mission and “our collective response to the FMD outbreak both demonstrate the importance of partnership, decisive action, and unity of purpose”.