A Direct Assault on Our Livestock Economy: Exposing the Failure of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Preparedness
Updated: Oct 12
The confirmation of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) on a commercial farm in the Karasburg State Veterinary District inside Namibia’s WOAH-recognised FMD-Free Zone is a direct assault on the backbone of our agricultural economy. Ten out of eleven cattle sampled tested positive at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, forcing the government into a nationwide suspension of all cloven-hoofed animal movements, trade, and export channels. This is not merely an unfortunate natural event; it is a severe indictment of the ruling administration's animal disease preparedness and border surveillance.
The acting Minister of Agriculture admitted in the National Assembly that the nation had been repeatedly updated on an "existing imminent risk" surrounding FMD outbreaks in neighboring Southern African countries. If the threat was known and imminent, the obvious question that remains unanswered is why border controls, surveillance frequencies, and biosecurity enforcement were left inadequate as the danger approached. FMD control relies entirely on rapid response backed by robust vaccine stockpiles, proactive testing capacity, and emergency funding. Instead, the government watched passively until the crisis struck, reacting with "profound sadness and uneasiness" only after the damage was already done.
The economic shock of this failure falls squarely on farmers and rural workers who have laboured tirelessly to sustain one of our most strategically valuable export sectors. Coming off the back of a 59.4% year-on-year collapse in cattle marketing during the second quarter of 2025, this outbreak pushes an already fragile livestock supply chain straight to the brink. Cattle and sheep ready for sale are now stranded, and rural communities dependent on live animal trade for daily cash flow face immediate financial ruin.
The IPC supports all necessary scientific measures to contain the spread, but we will relentlessly hold the executive accountable for the administrative negligence that allowed an approaching threat to become a catastrophe.
Comments