Thousands of residents in Namibia's capital, Windhoek, rushed to butcheries across the city to buy meat after the government announced an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the ||Kharas region. The sudden announcement prompted panic buying, with shelves being emptied of meat within hours. Customers scrambled to purchase full carcasses, mince, and lamb, with some butcheries reporting that their meat supplies were "almost done".
The outbreak has led to the suspension of the movement, slaughter, and export of cloven-hoofed animals and their products. This has left residents of Windhoek, Stampriet, Walvis Bay, and other parts of the country worried about the availability of meat. A customer waiting in line at Rand Street Butchery in Windhoek West compared the situation to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, stating that the only difference was that people were scrambling for meat instead of other essential goods.
The Namibian visited seven different butcheries in Windhoek, all showing signs of stress due to the high demand for meat. One customer expressed frustration over the suddenness of the announcement, stating that Namibians love their meat and are worried that prices may go up. He also expressed concern that suppliers might take advantage of the situation and raise their prices.
Another customer, who waited almost two hours to buy his meat, walked out of Rand Butchery with three plastic bags of meat cuts. By lunchtime, the line stretched out of the building and into the street. Maria Ndevahoma, another customer at Rand Street Butchery, stated that the situation cannot be controlled and that people would have to find alternative sources of protein if meat is not available.
Acting minister of agriculture, fisheries, water, and land reform Charles Mubita announced the outbreak to the public on Wednesday. Foot-and-mouth disease is highly infectious and affects cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and other wild animals. Mubita stated that veterinary officers doing routine inspections had found 63 animals exhibiting symptoms of the disease in Namibia's southernmost region.
The Namibian reported last month that agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani had rejected a quotation from August 26 Construction of N$179 million to build a veterinary cordon fence. The fence would stretch 400km along the Namibia-South Africa border and prevent animals from moving across borders and spreading FMD. The project was sent to the Central Procurement Board of Namibia, which invited bids for 185km of veterinary cordon fencing in the ||Kharas region.
China Jiangxi JV Homefin emerged as the successful bidder at about N$126 million, but the Central Procurement Board later cancelled the tender. The cancellation has raised questions about the government's preparedness to handle the outbreak and prevent its spread. The situation has left residents worried about the availability and price of meat in the coming days.
Key points
- The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has led to panic buying of meat in Windhoek.
- The government has suspended the movement, slaughter, and export of cloven-hoofed animals and their products.
- A veterinary cordon fence project to prevent the spread of FMD was rejected and later re-tendered.
