FMD a ‘do-or-die’ situation, ǁKharas governor warns

Assistance for farmers affected by the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, compliance with containment measures and the establishment of disinfection stations at roadblocks have been identified as key priorities by regional authorities in the ǁKharas region.“As we are all aware, the region is at the epicentre of a critical agricultural crisis following the confirmed detection of FMD," governor Dawid Gertze said on Monday at a stakeholder meeting in Keetmanshoop."Disaster risk management needs to be on the ground, and an emergency desk in the governor's office is being established to coordinate regular updates on the situation to residents by the relevant stakeholders,” he added.The governor called on residents to comply with the FMD regulations and urged police to enforce them without fear or favour.“This is a do-or-die situation, and we should all adhere to the regulations irrespective of who we are. Farmers must also see to it that people entering and exiting farms comply. Let us not defeat the purpose of this exercise,” he stressed.“We cannot allow the irresponsibility of one person to put the entire region at risk. If people are transporting carcasses and they need to be charged, charge them. I am not saying mishandle people; I am saying act within the confines of the law.”Gertze called for a coordinated response involving communities, traditional authorities, farmers, security agencies and veterinary services.“The ban has been lifted for the rest of the country, with the exclusion of the ǁKharas region. For that reason, there is a serious need for us to collaborate as community members, traditional authorities, communal and commercial farmers, the security cluster and also the veterinary services to ensure that we get out of the situation within the shortest possible time,” he said.FMD lockdownGertze highlighted that the outbreak was having a significant impact on livelihoods and the regional economy.“It has caused so much panic and uncertainty in this region. FMD directly affects the livelihoods of the region's inhabitants and government coffers,” he said.“There are people who primarily rely on farming, and if no farming activities take place, such as selling, it affects their ability to maintain and sustain themselves. For that reason, it is very important for us to cooperate to the maximum so that we get out of the situation as quickly as we can.”He said restrictions could be eased if residents complied with the measures and state agencies worked together.“For us to get out of this, the residents must comply and the state agencies must collaborate, otherwise we are not going to move out of the situation,” Gertze said.The governor also urged residents to take the outbreak seriously, particularly those planning to attend funerals or other social gatherings.“Some people are still joking about the situation, and there is no way that we can afford that. If we do not take this seriously, we are going to remain in this lockdown situation for much longer,” he said."We have not been declared a non-critical or non-infected zone at the moment. Those of us who are going to funerals or have organised social activities should take note. We are in a zone where certain things are still not allowed.”Let's work togetherThe governor called for calm and strict adherence to regulations.“What will curb the spread of this disease in the shortest possible time is strict compliance with the movement controls, quarantine protocols and biosecurity measures enforced by our authorities. Cooperation is our single most powerful tool,” he said.“By working hand in hand with our veterinary services and the security cluster, including traditional authorities and both communal and commercial farmers, we can extinguish this outbreak, protect our regional economy, safeguard our livestock export status and swiftly put the ǁKharas region back on track,” Gertze concluded.

FMD a ‘do-or-die’ situation, ǁKharas governor warns

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-30

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FMD a ‘do-or-die’ situation, ǁKharas governor warns

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-30

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