Botswana on FMD red alert

In its latest alert, the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture confirmed that Zimbabwe has reported an FMD outbreak in the Mangwe District of Matabeleland South Province, an area that shares a border with Botswana’s Tutume, North-East, and Bobirwa districts. Authorities say the regional situation, coupled with confirmed cases in South Africa, some detected as close as 40 kilometres from Botswana’s borders, has significantly heightened the risk of cross-border transmission.

Against this backdrop, the Botswana National Beef Producers Union (BNBPU) has warned that what began as an inland outbreak in South Africa is “rapidly progressing towards Botswana,” prompting renewed calls for vigilance across the livestock sector.