Following an announcement by the minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development, Thoko Didiza, at the end of last month of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in cattle in Mtubatuba in KwaZulu-Natal, Botswana has banned the import of live cloven-hoofed animals from South Africa.
It has also banned the transit of live animals through Botswana.
The outbreak was detected during a routine disease surveillance exercise conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development (DALRRD) on May 26 after local veterinary officials noticed cattle showing suspicious lesions at one communal location. A team of officials from the KZN DALRRD are conducting further investigations to determine the extent of the outbreak. The control measures will be determined by the findings of this investigation. In an effort to prevent further spread of the disease while investigations are under way, an immediate temporary standstill of all cloven-hoofed animals, including livestock and game, has been imposed in the district municipalities of King Cetshwayo and Umkhanyakude, as well as the local municipalities of Nongoma, Ulundi and Pongola in the Zululand district municipality.
No movement of live cloven hoofed animals is allowed into, out of or through these districts.
The area under standstill will be reviewed within two weeks, based on further disease investigations.
