Moffat Mungazi
Lloyd Makonya
Correspondent
ON May 26, 2025, Government through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development issued a statement to announce the immediate suspension of all animal imports from South Africa’s Gauteng Province following reports of a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in the neighbouring country.
This precautionary move, announced by the Department of Veterinary Services, is not Zimbabwe’s first encounter with the devastating effects of transboundary animal diseases.
Rather, it underscores the ongoing vulnerability of the country’s livestock sector to highly contagious diseases, and reinforces the urgency of strengthening domestic biosecurity and veterinary capabilities.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease, caused by a highly infectious virus that affects cloven-hoofed animals, poses severe risks to both commercial and communal livestock.
The disease spreads rapidly through direct animal contact, contaminated materials, and even aerosols under specific climatic conditions.
For a country like Zimbabwe, where livestock plays a central role in rural livelihoods, food security, and the national economy, FMD and other animal diseases such as theileriosis commonly referred to as “January Disease” have had historically crippling consequences.
There are at least four major tick-borne diseases (TBDs) affecting cattle in Southern Africa, namely theileriosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. In Zimbabwe, over 60 percent of ruminant livestock deaths are attributed to these TBDs, while theileriosis, since 2017, has been the main cause of TBD-induced cattle deaths in the country.
In 2001, an FMD outbreak led to the suspension of Zimbabwe’s lucrative beef exports to the European Union.
The economic impact was immediate and staggering, with annual losses estimated at over US$38 million.
More recently, between 2019 and 2021, the country battled waves of theileriosis outbreaks that claimed over 50 000 cattle, especially in vulnerable areas such as Buhera, Bindura, Chivhu, Goromonzi, Gutu, Hwedza and Mhondoro-Ngezi.
These losses were acutely felt by smallholder farmers, whose livelihoods depend on cattle for draught power, milk, and income generation.
The latest import suspension from South Africa comes at a time when Zimbabwe is already pursuing a robust response to livestock disease threats.
Recognising the limitations of relying on imported vaccines and foreign disease surveillance, the government has taken bold steps to fortify its internal capacity.
Chief among these is the establishment of a biosafety Level Three laboratory at the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) in Hatcliffe, Harare.
This laboratory, once fully operational, is expected to manufacture FMD vaccines locally, significantly reducing the country’s dependence on imports and saving approximately US$3,6 million annually in vaccine procurement costs.
Complementing the vaccine strategy are ongoing national vaccination campaigns.
As of 2024, more than 200 000 cattle had been vaccinated against FMD, part of a broader campaign targeting 650,000 animals.
However, experts have noted that vaccination alone is not a panacea. Government is also investing in infrastructure to prevent cross-species disease transmission, notably the erection of a total perimeter of 1 600-kilometre electric fence in a programme targeting Gonarezhou, Hwange, Chizarira and Chirisa National Parks, where livestock and wildlife often intermingle.
Zimbabwe’s response also embraces integrated disease control strategies.
In 2022, Government launched a 10-year national strategy to combat tick-borne diseases such as theileriosis.
This initiative promotes proper dipping practices, regular disease surveillance, and the use of digital tools to report outbreaks in real time.
Crucially, it involves training for veterinary extension officers and education campaigns for farmers to identify symptoms early and reduce cattle mortality rates.
Regional cooperation is another pillar of Zimbabwe’s disease control framework.
In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the government of Mozambique, Zimbabwe is implementing a US$500 000 Technical Cooperation Programme aimed at controlling FMD serotype O and theileriosis.
The programme aims to harmonise disease surveillance across borders, improve livestock movement control, and promote data sharing to anticipate outbreaks and reduce their spread.
In the short term, the suspension of animal imports from South Africa is a necessary firewall.
But it is the medium- to long-term investments in vaccine production, veterinary infrastructure, and regional collaboration that will define Zimbabwe’s resilience in the face of livestock disease threats.
As global livestock trade grows and climate change increases the mobility of diseases, the country’s ability to guard its herd through science, policy, and community engagement has never been more vital.
Online Reporter