‘Dark future’ for ǁKharas farmers as FMD ‘plague’ hits

“Death came knocking at our doors… It is not going well. We should pray very hard for the situation to normalise,” farmer Veronica Mouton told Namibian Sun, while calling on government to put emergency support plans in place to assist affected farmers.

Mouton (68) says the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak has turned her life upside down, leaving her unable to sell livestock to feed her animals, pay her workers and keep her farm running.

“We should not be left on our own. We do not have money because we are not allowed to sell anything. I am on zero balance,” she said.

The outbreak has led to strict movement restrictions around Karasburg, with police roadblocks on 10 routes.

It was confirmed on a commercial farm in the Karasburg state veterinary district last week, where 10 of 11 sampled cattle tested positive, prompting nationwide controls on the movement and marketing of cloven-hoofed animals and their products.

The restrictions were lifted on Sunday except for the ǁKharas region.

Gloomy outlook

Mouton is a retired nurse who farms with 270 goats, 120 sheep and 23 cattle at Obub Unit 8, a resettlement farm about 14 km from Karasburg along the Aroab road.

She has farmed there since 1991, when she took over following her father's death, and employs two workers.

“It is like a plague that hit us just before December. It is a big problem, and the future seems very dark to me,” she said.

“This is the time when churches and families have functions and buy our livestock. We will be cut off for the next three months and will have nothing to live off. What do I do now?”

Mouton said farmers affected by the restrictions need clarity on whether they will receive assistance.

“We successfully kept our area and animals FMD-free for ages. How did this happen? I cannot comprehend it and would like to know because we farmers are supposed to observe our animals and be aware of their condition," she said.

"We know we should report any abnormality as soon as we notice it so that it can be dealt with. We have to stay alert,” she said.

Mouton said some of her goats developed runny noses and two died.

She plans to approach the state veterinarian about the animals.

‘What will we eat?’

She said the inability to sell animals had left her struggling to meet the farm's expenses.

“We have to feed not only the animals. We have to feed the people and meet other obligations. I have to pay for water and repairs to the camps. To do all this requires money,” she said.

Before the outbreak, livestock sales provided money for medicine, animal feed, workers and other expenses.

“There are so many of us who share the same fate," Mouton said.

"In the past, we sold animals to buy medicine, feed the animals, pay the workers and make ends meet. But now that will no longer be the case.

“With the regulations in place, no slaughtering is allowed. The meat that is left in the freezer can still be eaten, but after that, there will be nothing more. What will we eat?" Mouton asked.

Outbreak remains localised

The state's chief veterinary officer Dr Kenneth Shoombe said preliminary investigations show the outbreak remains localised in ǁKharas, allowing authorities to begin relaxing restrictions elsewhere.

He said authorities had intensified disease surveillance and traced livestock that left the infected farm before FMD was detected.

Animals traced to Otjozondjupa were tested and returned negative results.

“Preliminary findings through the traceability system and livestock inspection demonstrated that the disease remains localised in the ||Kharas region,” Shoombe said.

Police move in

Police are enforcing the restrictions through a visible operation in the Karasburg district, where about 30 officers have been deployed and roadblocks established on 10 routes.

Deputy Police Commissioner Nicodemus Mbango, head of the crime investigation division in the ǁKharas region and acting regional commander, said police would not allow prohibited animals or animal products through the checkpoints.

“We are all affected and request you to cooperate with the officers who are operating at the roadblocks," Mbango said on Monday during a regional stakeholder engagement facilitated by ǁKharas governor Dawid Gertze in Keetmanshoop.

"We have a strong and visible police presence in the Karasburg district, and we will not allow any prohibited movement of animals or animal products to pass through our checkpoints."

The checkpoints will operate on a 24-hour basis.

“People do not want to be asked for their receipts, but the regulation is clear. The directive is that if you buy meat from a shop, you should produce the receipt. What is so difficult about carrying the receipt for the meat that you bought?” Mbango said.

Anyone convicted of an offence under the applicable law could face a fine of up to N$100 000 or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.