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Long-term surveillance remains critical priority for the Department of Veterinary Services as it grapples with a recent outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Jackalas No. 1.

Following the detection of the disease two weeks ago, the village has been declared a Red Zone, triggering rigorous monitoring and vaccination campaign.

In an interview, Principal Technical Officer, Mr Millan James, emphasised that the battle against FMD did not end with a single injection.

“Aft er vaccinations, surveillance exercises will continue to check for possible signs of FMD,” Mr James stated.

The department’s strategy hinges on a multi-year commitment, including continued monitoring, which would see surveillance extended to goats and other cloven-hoofed wildlife, such as kudu and impala, to ensure the virus was not circulating in other species.

The path to Green Status would succeed only if surveillance results eventually showed that FMD prevalence had ceased and the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture will apply to the World Organisati on for Animal Health (WOAH/OIE) for Green Status.

Achieving this status is the only way to lift current slaughter embargoes and return the zone to its original market standing.

Approximately 700 cattle were expected to be vaccinated in the initial phase.

Mr James explained that the 2-in-1 vaccine was designed to prevent infection and reduce the efficacy of the disease.

Mr James said vaccinated livestock would be marked with an ‘H’ brand on the right leg.

He added that a booster jab was scheduled for February 17 (14 days aft er the initial dose), with another booster expected toward the end of the year.

Furthermore, he said vaccination and surveillance may continue for up to three years, adding, if the virus persisted, the area may be classified as a permanent Red Zone, similar to the Okavango and Chobe regions.

He indicated that the recurrence of FMD had caused significant distress for Zone 6b farmers, many of whom were still recovering from the 2022 outbreak and subsequent restocking efforts in 2023/2024.

Farmers Committee chairperson, Mr Dignity Mtombeni, said he suspected that previous restocking may have occurred before the area was fully cleared.

Thus, he urged government to engage in bilateral talks with Zimbabwe to find a trans-border solution, suggesting a repeat of the 2008 exercise where Botswana vaccinated cattle within a 40km radius inside Zimbabwe.

Regarding the dilapidated border fence, Mr Mtombeni said they had volunteered to assist government, saying ‘Mophato or community regiments were ready to cut poles and maintain the fence if government provided the materials.”

Councillor for Jackalas No. 1/ Ramokgwebana, Mr Morapedi Mafohla, commended farmers for their cooperation during recent kgotla meetings.

While the situation was diffi cult, he noted that farmers were grateful that government opted for vaccination over depopulation and preserving their high-quality breeds.

Mr Mafohla urged all farmers to herd and kraal their cattle strictly to prevent mingling with potentially infected animals, stressing that community discipline was the first line of defense in the surveillance eff orts.

The United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s School In a Box kit holds much more than just school supplies.

It represents hope and the right to education for children in rural communities and the low-income families. For early childhood learning, the school in a box kit apart from learning continuity, also provides healing to children who have lived through times of trauma.

The School In a Box kit initiative according to UNICEF country representative to Botswana, Dr Komanzi Mothengi also brought about joy to the children as some develop new found excitement for school. Speaking during the handing over of a donation to primary schools in Kgatleng District, in Oodi on Monday, Dr Muthengi said following the flood that affected schools across the country last year, UNICEF found it fit to donate some school supplies to stimulate learning.

He said UNICEF learnt that thousands of families and 1 800 children were affected by the flood, preventing some children from going to school since many communities in Kgatleng and other districts were affected.

The donation that included 78 boxes of early childhood leaning material, 50 boxes of stationery, 2 006 school bags and 46 boxes of recreational material targeted 20 000 learners across the country, and is part of UNICEF’s mandate:No Child is left Behind.

Since government prioritises Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Dr Muthengi said UNICEF had partnered with government to attain the education transformational process.

“We are committed to strengthening Botswana’s education by working with other partners to supplement these efforts,” he said.

Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Ms Nono Kgafela-Mokoka, acknowledged UNICEF’s impactful support in foundational learning, and that the donation would complement government’s interventions underway to strengthen STEM.

She commended the organisation for playing a part in education, stating that government’s partnership with UNICEF was critical in providing support to vulnerable children and bridging the education gaps.

Ms Kgafela- Mokoka assured partners that donation would be used transparently and in line with its intended purpose.

The ministry’s permanent secretary, Ms Mmamiki Kamanakao, said the timing was appropriate, when STEM driven education should be strengthened in accordance with the ambitions of the new administration.

She said the ministry had been tasked with ensuring that the learning environment was child friendly as the enrolment of foundational learning was increased.

“It is worth mentioning that these materials are offered in live with government’s STEM curriculum for early childhood development,” he said. Meanwhile Kgatleng East MP, Mr Mabuse Pule, noted that the collaboration between UNICEF and government had yielded positive results in early childhood learning.

“UNICEF has always been a strategic partner in providing expertise to education and improving learning outcomes. This donation will complement government interventions in hard-to-reach areas,” he said.

Mr Pule appealed to government to prioritise fixing dilapidated school infrastructure and learning resources.

Approximately 700 cattle in Jackalas No.1 in the North East District are expected to be vaccinated for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) through the two-day mass vaccination exercise, as government moves to contain the outbreak in the area.

According to Principal Technical Officer in the Department of Veterinary Services, Mr Millan James, booster jabs would follow after 14 days, with continued surveillance for clinical signs set to be carried out on the livestock.

Zone 6B will remain a Red Zone, while another booster vaccination will be done towards the end of the year, he added.

Meanwhile, government has set aside P97 million for vaccination, maintenance of cordon fences and manpower deployment to fight FMD.

Additionally, the government has put in place measures to control the spread of the disease, including strict quarantine protocols, restrictions on livestock movement, and awareness campaigns for farmers.

Meanwhile, transportation, movement or slaughter of cloven-hoofed animals, including for personal consumption or social events (such as weddings, funerals and megoga) is prohibited countrywide except in Zones 1 (Chobe) and 2 (Ngamiland).

A specialised commercial court aimed at speeding up the resolution of commercial disputes and supporting Botswana’s ease of doing business agenda is set to be launched in March.

Announcing the development during the opening of the 2026 Legal Year in Gaborone on Monday, Chief Justice Gaolapelwe Ketlogetswe said the move was part of broader judicial reforms meant to modernise justice delivery.

“The envisaged commercial court will deal exclusively with commercial matters and is intended to facilitate the ease of doing business in Botswana,” said Justice Ketlogetswe.

He said the judiciary recorded significant institutional reforms in 2025 as it pursued its goal of becoming a world-class judicial system by 2036.

“Our focus remains on improving efficiency, strengthening accountability and bringing justice closer to the people,” he said.

Justice Ketlogetswe said key achievements of 2025 included the appointment of five new judges to the Court of Appeal, bringing the bench to its full complement of 12 justices.

“The High Court has also reached its full complement of 30 judges, a development we expect will improve case management and reduce backlogs,” he said.

On gender representation, the Chief Justice said the judiciary had deliberately increased the number of women judges, with four of the eight newly appointed High Court judges being women.

“This is a trend that will continue across all courts,” he said.

On the establishment of specialised courts, Justice Ketlogetswe said the judiciary recognised the urgent need to establish a constitutional court, noting that specialisation enhanced efficiency and the timely delivery of justice.

“Specialised courts strengthen the quality of judicial decisions and enable the courts to respond effectively to the changing needs of society,” he said.

Meanwhile, newly appointed Attorney General Dick Bayford, in his first address in office, said government was moving to repeal laws that had been declared unconstitutional by the country’s highest court.

“There is a need to improve access to laws so that the majority of Batswana can understand them,” said Bayford.

He added that the state should approach litigation with restraint and fairness.

“The state does not always have to pursue every technical advantage or take advantage of every procedural flaw. It must litigate with moderation, candour and proportionality,” he said

Already, Molepolole Prisons, which has a 400-hectare farm, has planted 93 hectares of maize and three hectares of lablab while another three hectares of maize was yet to planted.

In Mahalapye, 40 hectares of sorghum have been planted while 38 hectares in Machaneng and 28 hectares at Letlhakane have been planted while a target of 101 hectares of sorghum was to be ploughed.

“We have also planted 40 hectares of beans in Tsabong and we also have have an egg farm as well, while in Tshane we have planted 20 hectares,” said Botswana Prisons Service Commissioner, Mr Anthony Mokento during Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Nelson Ramaotwana’s tour of Molepolole Prisons recently.

He said if the rains could remain consistent, they aimed to atleast produce 3 000 bags of maize, which would be enough to feed all the 23 prisons nationwide, but if not, they should at least produce two thirds of the expected harvest.

He was however optimistic that the harvest would be enough to feed the 4 497 prisoners nationwide.

He highlighted that the notion of ploughing was to equip prisoners with farming knowledge so as to use the skill once they released from prison.

“Our plan is to make prisoners produce food for themselves instead of relying on government coffers since the economy is struggling. Today, the minister came to assess how we were progressing since we ploughed earlier this season,” Mr Mokento said.

For his part, Assistant Superintendent Mooketsi Lesego said the planted hectares in Molepolole were a stepping stone of a bigger dream to turn BPS as a hub for food security.

As BPS, he said they made a choice to use hybrid varieties of white maize; SC555 which made 50 hectares and 42 hectares of SC419, which were drought resistant and high yielding.

“We sowed SC555 so that we can give it enough time to grow because it is medium maturing variety and SC419 is early maturing so that we are able to maximise yield within the area that we have. We also have three hectares ‘highworth’ variety of lablab, which is the common variety that we usually grow here and it is a highly performing and we also have the remaining five hectares from which three hectares is yet to be grown SC555 to make it 53 hectares and the two hectares we have spared it for yellow maize (SC503),” said Mr Lesego.

He said majority of the SC503 was going to be crushed with sunflower to feed guinea fowls in Letlhakane and used for livestock mix.

In addition, he said they kept various breeds of livestock, cattle, goats and sheep that also helped them with meat and milk.

However, he said they were rearing a lesser number of livestock, though various breeds, because their main focus was to help inmates to be fully acquainted with diversified knowledge and skills of managing an array of breeds to help them make wise choices when they joined the society and wanted to venture into farming.

Mr Lesego also said most of the time they auctioned the livestock when it multiplied.

Last year, he said they auctioned livestock worth more than half a million Pula.

For his part, Minister Ramaotwana appreciated BPS’ efforts to fill BPS’ silos with grain during this ploughing season

The Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in South Africa and the confirmed cases in Botswana is a wake-up call for farmers to harness the transformative power of collaboration in order to strengthen their operations.

The remarks were made by Botswana National Beef Producers Union (BNBPU) chairperson, Mr Mpaphi Phumaphi during a meeting attended by the community and members of farmers’ associations in Ghanzi recently.

Mr Phumaphi said it was worth noting that it had been a common practice for some farmers’ associations to work in isolation and that had contributed to some inefficiency in the agricultural sector.

He, therefore, called for farmers’ associations to collaborate and affiliate to BNBPU in order to bring seasoned wisdom and experiences that could infuse innovation for sustainable growth of the industry.

Mr Phumaphi noted that through their successful collaborations, farmers could contribute successfully to the newly established Botswana Meat Industry Regulatory Authority (MIRA) Act, which was designed to regulate, licence and oversee the livestock and meat industry.

He said through BNBPU national council, they had proposed for the liberalisation of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), saying breaking its monopoly would foster a more competitive sector where farmers would be spoilt for choice on where to sell their livestock.

He further emphasised that the liberalisation of the BMC would allow for more local abattoirs to be established across the country to allow continuity in trading, more especially in unaffected zones during the times of outbreaks.

Moreover, he said the liberalisation of BMC would afford BNBPU the opportunity to strategise and reinvent the meat industry to make it appealing to consumers as well as control the pricing of their products in the market.

On other issues, he informed farmers that through the BNBPU council, members have set up a disease control fund to assist government with maintenance of disease control fences across zones as well as the purchasing of buffers and other necessities in the wake of financial challenges.

A member of the executive committee, Mr Masego Phuduhudu informed farmers that as part of its continued efforts to rebrand the meat sector, BNBPU national council had made a recommendation for a comprehensive transformative strategy to be put in place.

He said the strategy would be driven by the need to adopt sustainable farming practices and to implement some technological advancement that would enhance supply chain transparency and foster industry-wide collaboration.

Mr Phuduhudu added that these transformative strategies also called for synergy collaborations with government for proper policies governing the industry to ensure increased production and meeting growing global demand.

BNBPU Secretary, Mr Alfred Pilane said following the FMD outbreak in South Africa last year, in their meeting with government, BNBPU national council recommended for the establishment of a committee to provide guidance on the control measures.

We suggested that the committee should comprise of experts and farmers’ community who were previously involved in FMD outbreak to beef up the dispatched team to the northern part of the country, he said.

He also said they proposed for the setting up of the disease control fund, which would be controlled by the union and be used for the resuscitation of the Dibete cordon fence and others across the country as their support in controlling the diseases across zones.

Other proposals included the establishment of district abattoirs, which he said could reduce inconveniences amongst the farming community during an outbreak.

For his part, Ghanzi Farmers Association chairperson, Mr Quinton Barnes applauded BNBPU for their engagements with farmers’ associations across the country on how to contain and control the spread of FMD at local level.

On other issues, Mr Barnes informed them that Ghanzi Farmers Association terminated its affiliation to BNBPU due to some conflicted operations but he acknowledged that, with the new management and thorough consideration they would renew their affiliation.

He called for organisational transformation strategy at BMC that would drive long term growth by enhancing operational efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction.

Furthermore, he proposed for autonomy of MIRA to foster increased productivity and efficiency in the meat industry.

In his remarks, Ghanzi district Council chairperson, Mr Thabiso Kebadile, implored farmers to work in sync noting that isolation would defeat the efforts to protect the meat industry.

He informed farmers about the government initiative to liberalise the beef sector through the establishment of MIRA.

He therefore, challenged farmers to generate progressive ideas that could reshape the industry and help restore the economy to its former glory