An open letter to the President

ANONYMOUS WRITES:

Dear Madam President

Namibia is facing a moment of extraordinary danger. 

The outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) threatens far more than individual farmers and their livestock. It threatens our entire agricultural industry, on which well over half of your citizens depend. FMD endangers our entire country. 

Two weeks were spent testing, debating, regulating, and planning. Little has actually been implemented yet. No culling, no practically effective zoning, and DVS rules that neither citizens nor law enforcement professionals understand – and that no one follows. 

Your citizens and your executive branch trust you and have confidence in your ability to make wise decisions that will lead us into a secure future. The farmers and citizens of Namibia therefore ask you to declare a national state of emergency immediately and take matters into your own hands. You alone can guide and direct your citizens and your executive branch through clear, wise, and decisive directives.

You alone can immediately order that;

– In zones affected by FMD, all infected livestock, animals that have been in contact with them, and cloven-hoofed wild animals are culled.

– The containment zone in the !Karas region is completely sealed off using Police Forces and members of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF).

– All available public servants, including NDF personnel, begin construction of the “southern red line” fence at once, without tenders or further delay.

Let us recall that in 1961, over 1 000 km of fencing was erected in just a few months. We, the citizens, stand ready to surpass that achievement with your help. 

Please explain to us citizens and to law enforcement professionals what is currently prohibited and why and enforce these regulations consistently. Everyone must understand that transporting cloven-hoofed livestock, meat, and meat products south of the “Northern Red Line” is prohibited (unless purchased at a supermarket or butcher shop). 

Any violation signifies not only a serious criminal offense but also exposes society to an overwhelming danger. And please, Madam President, be open and honest with your people. If you – like many experts – conclude that we will not succeed in containing the FMD outbreak locally, then we, your people, are strong enough to bear that truth. 

Our fellow citizens in the Northern Communal Areas have successfully engaged in livestock farming without FMD-free status. The rest of our country can do the same. We simply must not lose time because we are afraid to admit the truth. Please consider ordering the immediate dispatch of Government delegations to conclude trade agreements with South Africa and other countries affected by FMD. 

Madam President, we, the citizens of Namibia, trust that through your wisdom and decisive leadership, we will overcome this crisis as well. Please take action and lead our nation.

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