Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is not merely a veterinary problem. It is an economic problem, a rural livelihoods problem, a trade problem and, ultimately, a national problem.
Government has committed substantial resources to the fight, including a P97 million emergency response plan, movement controls, vaccination campaigns and community mobilisation efforts.
Yet for many Batswana, particularly farmers in affected areas, the public face of the battle against FMD remains overwhelmingly the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, veterinary officers and Members of Parliament from affected constituencies.
That raises an important question: where is the visible national mobilisation?
The fight against FMD cannot be left to veterinarians alone. Veterinary officers are essential, but disease control also depends on compliance with movement restrictions, fence maintenance, community vigilance and public cooperation. Government itself has acknowledged the importance of community mobilisation and cross-sector participation in controlling the disease.
When the country faces challenges that threaten key sectors of the economy, citizens expect to see an unmistakable whole-of-government response. FMD threatens livestock wealth, export earnings and household incomes across rural Botswana. It is therefore reasonable to expect more visible participation from the country’s highest leadership structures, the President, the Vice President, Cabinet, local authorities, dikgosi, business organisations and community leaders.
The fight against FMD cannot be left to veterinarians alone. Veterinary officers are essential, but disease control also depends on compliance with movement restrictions, fence maintenance, community vigilance and public cooperation. Government itself has acknowledged the importance of community mobilisation and cross-sector participation in controlling the disease.
National crises require national ownership. Farmers should not feel as though they are fighting alone while the rest of the country watches from the sidelines. The message from the country’s leadership should be clear and consistent that FMD is Botswana’s problem, and defeating it requires Botswana’s collective effort.
Unity is not only about working together. It is also about being seen to work together.
