The Governor of the ||Kharas Region, Dawid Gertze, has urged residents to strictly comply with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) restrictions and implement biosecurity measures.
He made the call during an emergency multisectoral regional engagement on the FMD situation held in Keetmanshoop.
The government has lifted animal-movement restrictions in areas north of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (VCF) and partially cleared areas south of the fence. However, the ||Kharas Region remains an exception after FMD was detected at a farm in the Karasburg district, which remains completely closed.
Only the movement and trade of processed animal products, such as meat, milk and hides, are permitted in the ||Kharas Region.
Gertze convened the emergency regional engagement to coordinate and strengthen efforts to contain the outbreak.
“Cooperation is our most vital tool. By collaborating closely with our veterinary services and the security cluster and including traditional authorities—both communal and commercial—we can effectively extinguish this outbreak. Our aim is to protect our regional economy, safeguard our livestock status and swiftly return the ||Kharas Region to its status as an FMD-free zone, alongside the rest of Namibia,” Gertze said.
Gertze also urged residents to remain calm.
The engagement provided stakeholders with an opportunity to raise concerns about the outbreak and the restrictions.
Chairperson of the ||Kharas Regional Council, Gerrit Witbooi, called on veterinary services to cooperate with the political leadership.
“This is our first engagement, and this is an outreach initiative by the Office of the ||Kharas Regional Council and the Governor’s Office. All stakeholders should work together because people are asking questions and are confused,” Witbooi said.
Ombudsman Head for the ||Kharas and Hardap regions, Sylvester Sibungu, raised concerns about government officials who violate movement controls.
“Most people who violate such controls are government officials. You find government vehicles travelling from one farm to another for no reason. I want to urge police officers to question and control every government vehicle and driver,” Sibungu said.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including goats, sheep, pigs and cattle.
Meanwhile, ||Kharas Police Head of the Crime Investigations Division Nicodemus Mbanga revealed that three suspects had violated the movement restrictions.
Each was issued with an admission-of-guilt fine of N$500 after being arrested at a police roadblock outside Karasburg on Saturday. The trio were found in possession of sheep carcasses they were transporting.