The area was hard hit by the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) two years ago and thousands of cattle were culled to control the disease. The powers that be ignored protests from experts that there was no need for the massive slaughter of livestock in the area.The outbreak coincided with the historic two-month long public service strike two years ago.The experts did not only protest the brutal killing of animals, but that FMD-infected meat does not pose any health risk when humans consume it.
We learnt that some of the farmers could not stand the sight of their cattle being slaughtered to be buried, and developed cardiac complications. We hope that any future outbreaks in this country will not result in the massive slaughter of cattle.We have heard arguments from animal health experts during the sittings of the Special Select Committee chaired by Mephato Reatile, that FMD can be controlled through the use of vaccines and restricted movement of cattle, and that the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) exports its products to many countries worldwide to arrest what here has been met with killing animals. We have heard that the same countries to which BVI exports vaccines, regularly send delegations to benchmark in Botswana on how to fight the disease. The World Organisation for Animal Health or OIE has also expressed its readiness to assist the country in eradicating FMD, and that the organisation is flexible in so far as declaration of FMD zones is concerned. This is an opportunity that we cannot afford to miss. We hope that the restocking of Zone 7 will bring new lives to the people of the area most of whom obviously depend on farming for a living. We hope that the Department of Veterinary Service (DVS) has learned a lot from the parliamentary select committee sessions and has started to put its house in order. We hope that the DVS will also look at other vulnerable areas such as Ngamiland to control FMD so that farmers there can access lucrative markets.Failure to address livestock diseases by those mandated to do so, or those elected into political positions is akin to economic sabotage.Politicians are obliged to make decisions that are in the best interests of Batswana whilst technocrats are obliged to implement them.
