Ministers frustrate Dr Dikoloti’s FMD fight

As the country grapples with the fight against the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), some cabinet ministers are allegedly frustrating these efforts by failing to follow the set protocols.Half of the country is currently on lockdown for the control and containment of the spread of FMD. The discovery of the disease in the critical Zone 11 has caused anxiety in the country as farmers, butcheries and households have been severely affected.While the Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, has rallied all stakeholders to help in the fight against (FMD) and the ultimate elimination of the disease, information reaching this publication has revealed that some Members of Cabinet have been breaching protocols, especially veterinary gates, where motorists and travellers are subjected to questioning and searching by officials at the designated gates.“The beef industry is on the brink of collapse, and we know that most of those cases detected are due to human error. Now, while we try to fight the disease so that life returns to normal, our people at the gates receive resistance from people in high offices who should be leading the fight against FMD,” a senior veterinary officer at the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture said.This publication has established that when the ministers have to pass through more than three (3) gates in their journey, they give excuses at the next veterinary gate not to be searched.“When they do not refuse to be searched at the gates, they refuse to go through footwear disinfestation. But both processes are crucial since we have discovered that the human error has significantly contributed to the spread,” another source added.Public transport users had at some point questioned the rationale behind having private cars not being subjected to search just like buses. The Ministry of Lands and Agriculture has intensified the fight across the country to ensure the disease does not spread to the remaining green zones.Sources have revealed that the Minister has been made aware of the behaviour by some of his colleagues, and he had promised to act on the matter.However, it has since emerged that very little has been done regarding the developments, as a recent similar matter ended up reaching the police.Information gathered by this publication indicate that the incident happened at the Sefhophe-Mogapi Veterinary Gate, which is one of the gateways to Zimbabwe in the Bobirwa catchment area.Botswana Guardian has learned that one of the Ministers and his entourage refused to be subjected to the (FMD) protocol, forcing the officers on duty to report the matter to the Botshabelo Police Station in Selibe-Phikwe.It is alleged that, in a twist of events, instead of investigating the matter and questioning the minister, the police turned around and subjected the officials from the gate to questioning. The plan, according to some officers, is to keep the matter under wraps.“Everything surrounding that event is very untidy. It seems this is not an isolated incident, but it happens at most of the veterinary gates. This also creates animosity between Senior Police Officers and their juniors,” a SeniorPolice Officer who did not want to be mentioned, said.Botswana Guardian reached out to Minister Dr Dikoloti for a comment regarding the issue, but at press time, he had not responded to our calls and messages.Meanwhile, Station Commander Superintendent Sedisa Malefho confirmed having a case involving a Minister in relation to refusal to adhere to set (FMD) protocols.Even though he would not be drawn into revealing the name of the Minister in question, he confirmed registration of the case.“I do not know if there are other cases other than this one. This particular one, the Minister was not refusing to be searched, but did not want to go through footwear disinfestation.”He added that the case has been forwarded to the District (Officer Commanding) after they recorded the statements from the officers.Efforts to get a comment from Police Spokesperson Near Bagali on the prevalence of such cases were futile, as he was in a meeting and later his mobile phone went off.In its latest update on (FMD) this week, the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture reported that outbreak in the disease control zones 3c and 6b has been suppressed, and the last cases were recorded in March 2026.Three (3) rounds of (FMD) vaccination have been completed in zones 6b North and 3c Masunga. The second round of vaccination 6b South and 3c Tutume is scheduled for mid-June 2026.The first round of (FMD) vaccination within a 40 km radius in Zimbabwe along the border with Botswana has been completed, and the second round of vaccination is scheduled for Mid-June 2026.(FMD) Prevention and control measures are being implemented, including emergency vaccination, biosecurity, establishment of a containment zone surveillance, and movement controls in zones 11,12 and 13 to contain the disease.The second round of vaccination has been completed in the initial containment zone. First round of vaccination is ongoing in clusters where the disease has been detected outside the initial containment zone in Lobatse communal area, Molapowabojang, Digawana and Mogojogojo.The first round of vaccination is ongoing in zone 13 in the affected farms and farms at risk.

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Ministers frustrate Dr Dikoloti’s FMD fight