Karasburg:Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani has expressed satisfaction with the ongoing efforts to contain the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in the ||Kharas Region. This follows her two-day assessment visit to the region last week.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Zaamwani spent Friday and Saturday visiting the Karasburg Veterinary District to evaluate preparedness, inspect control measures, and engage with affected farmers and frontline teams. The minister inspected roadblocks at strategic exit points and junctions, where teams are deployed to inspect and fumigate vehicles to prevent the spread of the disease.

Zaamwani commended the teams for their hard work and respectful treatment of travelers, despite long queues during peak hours. She noted that travelers generally understood the necessity of the measures. Zaamwani also mentioned plans to reinforce the teams by involving the Karasburg regional councillor to help identify young people for temporary employment to bolster the operations.

The minister emphasized the importance of maintaining control measures consistently, warning against relaxing inspections after dark. On Saturday, she was joined by ||Kharas Governor Dawid Gertze and Karasburg East Constituency Councillor James Hawanga to assess high-risk areas along the Orange River.

The ministry announced that construction of a cordon fence on farms along the Orange River had begun, with completion expected within four months. Additionally, construction of a containment zone fence is set to start this week following the delivery of materials, while consultations with affected farmers are nearing completion.

Zaamwani also met with representatives of affected farmers to discuss the outbreak, address their concerns, and identify immediate measures requiring cooperation between the ministry and the farming community. The ministry reported that most vaccination teams had arrived by Saturday, with the rest expected on Sunday, and vaccination of the affected livestock will commence once schedules are confirmed by relevant stakeholders.