FMD crisis: A tale of two countries
Friday, February 13, 2026 | 450 Views |
Torn down: The border fence has broken down, allowing people, vehicles and animals through with ease PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE
JACKALAS NO. 1: In the heart of Jackalas 1, the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) crisis has brought livestock farming to a grinding halt. The community is reeling from the devastating impact of the disease, which has spread rapidly across the border from Zimbabwe. With the border fence destroyed, cattle are roaming freely, infecting healthy animals and spreading the disease further.
In an interview with a Mmegi news crew, Jackalas 1 Farmers' committee chairperson, Dignity Mtombeni, highlighted the challenges posed by the destroyed border fence, which allows for unrestricted movement of people and animals between Botswana and Zimbabwe.
But on the particularly sensitive question of cadre deployment, the BNF must tread very carefully.The issue deserves robust debate, not ideological enthusiasm. Recent public comments from the BNF leadership are reassuring: the party has said that government positions should be based on merit and competence rather than party membership, and that it does not have a specific cadre-deployment policy.That principle should remain firmly at the centre...