Trans-Kalahari Corridor pushes regional foot-and-mouth disease coordination

The Trans-Kalahari Corridor Secretariat is pushing for stronger regional coordination on foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Secretariat executive director Leslie Mpofu this week engaged the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) and Namibia’s Livestock and Livestock Products Board (LLPB).

“The discussion covered a wide range of critical issues, including ways to address the current FMD challenges affecting cross-border cattle movement and creating non-tariff barriers.

“The need for harmonised veterinary protocols between Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa to safeguard trade,” the secretariat says on social media.

Mpofu and WBCG acting chief executive Edward Shivute discussed cooperation on non-tariff barrier reporting systems, corridor campaigns and data sharing, as well as dry port operations, customs processes and regulatory frameworks.

“Corridors do not compete but complement each other. This engagement reaffirms our shared commitment to building safer and more efficient corridors.

“By working closely we can address challenges cost effectively and create solutions that benefit all our stakeholders across the region.”

Mpofu also met with LLPB acting chief executive Goliath Tujendapi to discuss the FMD threat and its implications for trade along the Trans-Kalahari Corridor.

The two leaders agreed to work together on prevention efforts and said the TKCS should urgently convene a meeting of stakeholders from member states to develop joint strategies and public awareness campaigns to prevent the spread of the disease.

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