By Michael Liswaniso
OPUWO
A four-member team of the Veterinary Cordon Fence Task Force headed by Project Manager, Asser Sheuyange, of the Meat Board of Namibia, visited Opuwo on Tuesday.
The visit was to assist the region set up Veterinary Cordon Fence Regional Mobilisation (VGFRM) Committees, which should be functional beginning next year.
The team is expected to visit other six northern regions affected by the red line. The regions are Caprivi, Kavango, Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto.
Sheuyange said the VGFRM committees are expected to mobilise the communities by the middle of February next year.
The committees will be headed by a regional committee to be assisted by constituency sub-committees in all the six constituencies of the region.
The committees will raise public awareness on the foot-and-mouth disease at border fences, erect an animal border fence with Angola, carry out disease surveillance activities as well as handle disease outbreak controls.
“My understanding is that communities understand better and thus we should understand the procedures of following a process. We have enough funds for the implementation of the social mobilisation exercise,” Sheuyange said.
By 2012 it is hoped that there will be improved animal health within all the seven affected regions, lucrative markets and the elimination of the vaccination campaign costs, which will lead to the removal of the “red line” that is said to be sidelining these regions.
Other benefits will include the country’s recognition on an international level and the freedom of movement of animals within the country.
Constraints such as neighbouring countries’ livestock inheritance as well as social and cultural issues were raised as issues to be tackled with the establishment of a cordon fence.
In the former Kaoko, most residents especially in the Epupa constituency owned large herds of stock in Angola.
Constituency councillors, traditional leaders, farmers’ union representatives, line ministries’ officials and political representatives attended the meeting.
The tour ends in Kavango next week Friday.