The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani has expressed satisfaction with ongoing Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) response operations in the Karasburg Veterinary District following a two-day visit to assess preparedness, inspect control measures and engage with affected farmers and frontline teams.
A media statement from her office indicates that on Friday, the minister visited roadblocks established at strategic exit points and junctions to assess the readiness of deployed teams and the availability of materials and equipment needed to implement control measures.
“I am glad I went to this site. I am happy with what I saw,” said Zaamwani, commending teams working around the clock to inspect and fumigate vehicles while treating travellers with respect and courtesy.
She acknowledged that lengthy queues during peak hours cause delays but noted that travellers have generally understood the importance of the measures in containing the outbreak.
The minister said the teams would be reinforced, with the Karasburg constituency councillor being engaged to help identify young people for temporary employment as casual workers to support operations. The minister also emphasised the need to maintain consistent control measures throughout the day and night, while commending the cooperation among government agencies manning the roadblocks.
Cordon fence construction commences
She stressed that inspections and other control measures must not be relaxed at night. On Saturday, Zaamwani accompanied by the //Kharas Governor Dawid Gertze, and the Karasburg East Constituency Councillor James Hawanga conducted a field assessment of high-risk points along the Orange River. The visit covered the area from Homerevier, where construction of the veterinary cordon fence is underway, to Velloorsdrift, where the fence is expected to terminate.
The minister confirmed that construction of the cordon fence on farms along the Orange River has commenced and is projected to be completed within four months. Construction of the containment zone fence is expected to begin during the week of 12 October 2026, following the delivery of materials to the site.
Engagements with affected farmers are nearing completion. The delegation subsequently travelled through the outbreak epicentre to Karasburg, where the Minister met representatives of affected farmers to discuss the situation, address concerns and identify immediate actions requiring collaboration between the Ministry and the farming community.
Vaccination teams
As part of the assessment, the minister visited the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) office in Karasburg to inspect operational preparedness and available stocks. She also visited the campsite established for vaccination teams, where she was informed that most teams had arrived, with the remaining teams expected yesterday 2026.
The vaccination teams are preparing to deploy to the outbreak epicentre, with vaccination expected to commence once schedules have been agreed upon by the relevant stakeholders. Zaamwani commended officials from the Directorate of Veterinary Services, the Namibian Police, the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia (LLPBN) and volunteers for their continued commitment to the response.
Appreciation
The ministry also expressed its appreciation to farmers and local communities along the Noordoewer, Grünau, Warmbad and Karasburg corridor through to Keetmanshoop for their cooperation and understanding as efforts to contain the outbreak continue.
The Ministry reiterates that containing FMD requires close cooperation among government institutions, farmers, livestock industry stakeholders and the public. Livestock owners are urged to comply with applicable animal movement restrictions, cooperate with veterinary officials, and immediately report any suspected cases to the nearest veterinary office.
Meanwhile, the ministry also provided an update on the FMD cases over the weekend, indicating that as of 6 October 2026, a total of 129 animal samples has tested positive and 17 farms have been confirmed to be infected to date.
The DVS has deployed 20 teams to conduct surveillance and inspections at identified farms within the 50 kilometre radius of the index farm.
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