In its latest alert, the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture confirmed that Zimbabwe has reported an FMD outbreak in the Mangwe District of Matabeleland South Province, an area that shares a border with Botswana’s Tutume, North-East, and Bobirwa districts. Authorities say the regional situation, coupled with confirmed cases in South Africa, some detected as close as 40 kilometres from Botswana’s borders, has significantly heightened the risk of cross-border transmission.
Against this backdrop, the Botswana National Beef Producers Union (BNBPU) has warned that what began as an inland outbreak in South Africa is “rapidly progressing towards Botswana,” prompting renewed calls for vigilance across the livestock sector. As reported elsewhere in this publication, the country’s school uniform industry is being shaken by widespread smuggling, fronting and deceit.This is not just a business issue, but a direct attack on a national policy designed to build Botswana’s own economy and protect Batswana jobs.We call on the Ministry of Education, the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), the Police and all relevant bodies to take immediate and decisive action to…
