FMD crackdown nets first arrests

Three men have been arrested in the ||Kharas Region after allegedly being found in possession of sheep carcasses during stop-and-search operations at roadblocks set up as part of Namibia’s intensified response to the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak.

The arrests were made in separate incidents around Karasburg, the epicentre of the outbreak, as authorities tightened restrictions on the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and raw animal products.

The three men face charges under the Animal Health Act.

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

Deputy Commissioner Godfriedt Kauhanda, head of operations in the ||Kharas Region, stressed the seriousness of the situation and urged the public to comply with the restrictions.

“This is a national disaster; we do not want to take chances. We are seriously appealing to everyone to help us contain this outbreak,” Kauhanda said.

Roadblocks intensify

Roadblocks have been erected across the country, with vehicles transporting cloven-hoofed animals and raw animal products subjected to searches. Kapana stalls have also been closed as part of measures aimed at preventing further transmission.

The government has urged Namibians to remain patient while the 14-day incubation period runs its course before restrictions can be gradually eased.

So far, 17 of the 199 samples collected during intensified FMD surveillance have tested positive. All confirmed positive cases have been confined to the Karasburg district in the ǁKharas Region.

Minister in the Presidency and acting minister of agriculture Charles Mubita said at a media briefing at State House on Saturday that traceability investigations, clinical examinations and further testing were under way to determine the extent of the outbreak.

The latest results follow confirmation of FMD on 23 September, after 10 of 11 samples taken from a herd of 65 cattle on a commercial farm in the Karasburg district tested positive.

The 65 cattle on the affected farm, as well as animals on surrounding farms, remain under strict monitoring.

During follow-up investigations, four cattle were identified as having been moved from the affected farm in Karasburg to Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa Region.

The four animals were among 30 cattle tested on 24 September. The remaining 26 animals were tested as a precaution and were not linked to the affected farm.

“The objective is to establish the extent of the infection as quickly as possible and determine when and where the current restrictions can gradually be eased,” Mubita said.

“Analysis of traceability data from the affected farm and surrounding areas is still incomplete, as the 14-day incubation period has not yet elapsed.”

Nationwide measures questioned

The arrests come amid growing questions from industry and political circles about the legal, scientific and economic basis for applying the restrictions nationwide.

National Assembly member Job Amupanda, through his lawyers, Kadhila Amoomo Legal Practitioners, has demanded urgent clarification from Mubita over the measures imposed following the detection of FMD at the Karasburg farm.

Amupanda’s lawyers question why restrictions on the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their products have been applied nationwide when the outbreak was detected at a single commercial farm within the FMD Free Zone.

He also questions the continued relevance of the veterinary cordon fence, commonly known as the redline, arguing that communities north of the fence that are not affected by the outbreak are now being subjected to the same restrictions as areas linked to the outbreak.

Among the issues raised are the specific legal provisions authorising the nationwide restrictions, whether domestic and customary slaughter for funerals and weddings is prohibited, the scientific justification for treating the entire country as a single epidemiological unit, and the economic impact of the measures.

The questions come as the food manufacturing industry also seeks greater clarity on the rationale for the nationwide shutdown.

A Windhoek-based food manufacturer, speaking anonymously, questioned why the entire cattle population on the farm where the outbreak originated had not been culled and destroyed, while livestock movement and related operations remain restricted across the country.

The manufacturer said the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) should make public the risk assessment supporting the decision to keep the cattle under monitoring while simultaneously suspending livestock movement, including in areas where there is no known link to the affected farm.

The company also questioned the status of cloven-hoofed animals on farms that came into contact with the Karasburg cattle or fall within the 30km radius of the infected farm.

“If these animals have not been culled and destroyed and animals can still move with permits, what justifies DVS’s decision to shut down the entire country while animals that were in close proximity to infected cattle remain alive?” the manufacturer questioned.

The manufacturer argued that, given that the confirmed cases were concentrated in Karasburg and a limited number of suspected areas were awaiting results, DVS should explain why affected areas could not be isolated while operations elsewhere in the country resumed.

The company also questioned why meat-processing manufacturers had been stopped from operating, pointing out that Namibia has for years imported processed meat products from South Africa under DVS permits.

The manufacturer further called for clarity on what information had been shared with Namibia’s trading partners across the borders, as well as what measures and guidelines had been provided to law enforcement officers and other officials manning the FMD roadblocks.

No questions from the media were allowed during Saturday’s briefing.

“For Namibia’s livestock and meat industry, these are encouraging developments, although they still require vigilance,” said Meatco acting chief executive officer Albertus Aochamub.

“The situation is still evolving, but we now have more evidence on which to base our response. Let science guide us, let vigilance prevail, and let us continue working together to protect Namibia’s livestock industry and the livelihoods it supports.”

Restrictions hit livelihoods

Meanwhile, meat and dairy products are flying off shop shelves, while tourists are seeking clarity on which meat and dairy products they may transport while travelling through the country.

Kapana vendors at Windhoek’s Single Quarters also expressed concern about the poor turnout of customers on Friday.

Fransisco Fiaa, 29, who has been selling kapana for four years, told Namibian Sun on Friday that the decline in customers could threaten their livelihoods, which depend on daily kapana sales.

The slaughter of cloven-hoofed animals at export and local abattoirs, informal markets and social events has also been suspended.

Farmers have asked whether they may slaughter animals on their farms to provide meat rations for farm workers.

The Namibia Agricultural Union says they may do so, provided biosecurity measures are in place and the meat remains on the farm.

“No one may move the meat off the farm. Workers may only receive rations if they live on the farm and consume the meat there. Slaughtering for social events has been suspended.”

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