Young people at Otjombinde are playing their part in fighting the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in the country.
Constituency councillor and deputy minister of information and communication technology Wenzel Kavaka at Tallismanus settlement welcomed this initiative as the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security was conducting an awareness campaign in the area to introduce the roll-out of electronic identity (ID) documents.
“We are facing the huge threat of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) spreading in the country from South Africa and Botswana, threatening Namibia’s FMD-free status south of the redline,” he told The Namibian at the occasion.
“About 70 young people from the community have been assigned to clear the bush along the border line between Namibia and Botswana so we can erect a fence to prevent the cross-border movement of cattle,” he said, highlighting that Tallismanus is just 20km from the Botswana border and cattle from the two sides can easily mix.
The FMD initiative is in line with aggressive government efforts to protect Namibia’s vital livestock industry from regional outbreaks.
Namibia continues to maintain its World Organisation for Animal Health-recognised FMD-free status without vaccination south of the veterinary cordon fence (redline).
Apart from stringent biosecurity measures, the government has established a national FMD task force, and sought N$1.5 billion in total funding.
The government has also imposed strict import bans on cloven-hoofed animals from neighbours like Botswana, introduced intense border monitoring, and public awareness campaigns.
The Otjombinde effort also complements the recent launch of a joint Farmers’ Unions’ Leadership Campaign and the FMD Support Fund in response to the FMD threat to livestock in the Southern African Development Community region.
The Namibia Agricultural Union, the Namibia National Farmers’ Union, the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers’ Union and the Previously Disadvantaged Namibian Farmers’ Union at the launch came together under the theme ‘One Nation. One Herd. One Responsibility’ and established a fund for the fight against FMD.
They have raised over N$12 million out of a targeted N$50 million.
Calling for all hands on deck, executive manager of the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers’ Union Daniel Mahua said the initiative needs everyone’s support.
“These young people have done a wonderful job clearing the bush in a month in areas it has been left to grow,” he said.
Mahua said a number of well wishers had put together a fund to pay the young people an allowance, and appealed to companies to donate items like food for them.
Kavaka said the young people were also employed in the community garden to ensure food security.
“As a result of this initiative, cases of malnutrition have dropped in our area,” he said.
The deputy minister, however, bemoaned the rate of alcohol abuse at Tallismanus.
“While retail shops have regulated hours for the sale of alcohol, some shebeens sell alcohol from eight in the morning to eight the following morning, and this must be stopped,” he said.
Commenting on the intended e-ID roll-out in September, Kavaka said it was a good initiative and urged residents to embrace it.
“We must move with technology. The pilot project to use ID cards for travel to Botswana was launched at Tallismanus, and there may come a time when we can just apply for these documents from our homes,” he said.
- matthew@namibian.com.na
