A delegation from the Parliament Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Housing visited the National Emergency Operations Centre in Gaborone to assess the country’s preparedness for containing the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
Deputy Permanent Secretary to the President Matshidiso Bokole, speaking on behalf of the government, emphasised agriculture’s central role in Botswana’s economy and pledged that no effort would be spared in mobilising resources to combat the outbreak. She highlighted the strategic importance of the Emergency Operations Centre, which operates around the clock using advanced surveillance technologies, including drones, to monitor activity across all four corners of the country.
Committee Chairman and Member of Parliament for Lentsweletau-Lephephe, Tshenolo Bogatsu, described the visit as part of the committee’s oversight mandate to evaluate the government’s approach to managing and preventing FMD outbreaks and to identify where parliamentary support could strengthen the national response.
The Chief Veterinary Officer, Odireleng Thololwane, briefed the delegation on ground-level operations, noting that psychosocial support is being provided to farmers who have lost livestock, particularly following the recent dispatch of cattle in Lepurung that had strayed across the South African border. Mechanics, graders, and bowsers have been deployed on-site to support operations, while border patrols remain active to prevent further crossings and contain the spread of the disease.
