A cost we cannot afford to pay

It is not the multimillion-pula fence that failed us in Ramatlabama. It is not the cattle that wandered off on their own accord. The culprit in this latest, deeply frustrating outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is plainly and simply us, the people.

When a virus breaches a P65 million security fence at the Ramatlabama National Artificial Insemination Laboratory and Training Centre where the cattle have not moved an inch, the only logical explanation is human carelessness. It is a stark and uncomfortable truth. We are carrying this economic poison on the soles of our shoes, on our clothes, and in our vehicles. We are the weakest link in the defence of our national herd.