In a dramatic turn of events, the government has shifted blame on the Ngamiland farmers for their role in the continued Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in the area.
Ngamiland farmers had accused the government for manufacturing and infecting their cattle with FMD, in a bid to forcefully remove them from the district, to pave way for tourism activity in that area. The government has instead come back to say the farmers are the ones at fault since they do not play their roles of vaccinating their cattle and controlling their movement.
President Ian Khama who recently addressed Kgotla meetings in Maun expressed disappointment and concern, regarding the farmers’ ineffectiveness in working with government in its effort to control FMD in the Ngamiland. He revealed that Government spends almost P20 million annually in Ngamiland alone to fight the FMD outbreaks.
Khama’s concern follows another FMD outbreak announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture. The ministry confirmed that during a usual check routine inspection of cattle for trade, some livestock were found with lesions apparently due to FMD in the Kareng area within Maxembo and Lekurutshe crushes.
Subsequently a surveillance carried out between 10th March and 15th March 2015 has so far cumulatively revealed 59 cases of FMD in areas of Maxembo, Mokgalo and Motopi II reflecting 13, 11 35 of FMD cases respectively.
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