Wednesday, 21 October 2026

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Wednesday, 21 October 2026

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Namibian press · Organization

Directorate of Veterinary Services

Also known as: DVS

Agricultural ministry division that oversees livestock disease surveillance and containment, currently deployed in response to Namibia's foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

2025-05-242026-10-21

News reports

Order a long-term news report on Directorate of Veterinary Services

Every mention in the Namibian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

October 2026
19 OctNew Era
Directorate of Veterinary Services does not address HFMD
Source
“"It is not caused by FMD in livestock, and it is not the disease addressed by the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS)," he said, urging parents and guardians to follow the Ministry of Health and Social Services' guidance on HFMD.”
FMD, HFMD not the same illness – Muyunda
19 OctWindhoek Observer
Directorate of Veterinary Services directed FMD vaccination control measures
Source
“She warned livestock owners against vaccinating their own animals, saying FMD vaccination must follow directives issued by the Directorate of Veterinary Services.”
Zambezi farmers question unequal response to FMD
13 OctThe Namibian
Directorate of Veterinary Services failed to spend more than N$13 million of its budget during 2024/25 financial year
Source
“The agriculture ministry's Directorate of Veterinary Services has failed to spend more than N$13 million of its budget during the 2024/25 financial year.”
N$13m left unused in vet budget
12 OctWindhoek Observer
Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) confirmed that FMD had broken out at Kalala Island in the Kabe constituency of the Zambezi Region
Source
“The ruling came as the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) confirmed on Saturday that FMD had broken out at Kalala Island in the Kabe constituency of the Zambezi Region, raising fresh concerns over the spread of the highly contagious animal disease.”
Judge slams CPBN as FMD breaks in Zambezi …Fence construction continues despite tender dispute as Namibia confirms new outbreak
11 OctThe Namibian
Directorate of Veterinary Services has office at Karasburg assessed by minister
Source
“Zaamwani visited the Directorate of Veterinary Services office at Karasburg to assess its readiness and check available supplies.”
FMD fence construction begins in ||Kharas
11 OctWindhoek Observer
Directorate of Veterinary Services identified positive FMD cases on numerous farms across a wide geographical area
Source
“Since that first detection, testing by veterinary authorities has identified positive cases on numerous farms across a wide geographical area.”
Louw denies link to FMD outbreak, calls allegations ‘entirely false’
11 OctThe Namibian
Directorate of Veterinary Services reported no evidence of transmission north of the veterinary cordon fence
Source
“The Directorate of Veterinary Services also reported that available traceability information showed no evidence of transmission north of the veterinary cordon fence (redline).”
Fighting FMD with Spatial Intelligence
11 OctThe Namibian
Directorate of Veterinary Services detected FMD on his mother's farm at Graswater last month
Source
“His mother's farm at Graswater in the ||Kharas region was the first farm where the veterinary services detected the disease last month.”
‘It was not me’
9 OctThe Namibian
Directorate of Veterinary Services has deployed 20 teams to inspect farms within 50km radius
Source
“Muyunda says the Directorate of Veterinary Services has deployed 20 teams to inspect farms within a 50km radius of the farm where the disease was first detected.”
FMD spreads to 17 ||Kharas farms
9 OctNamibian Sun
Directorate of Veterinary Services deployed 20 teams to conduct surveillance and inspections
Source
“The Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) has deployed 20 teams to conduct surveillance and inspections at farms within a 50-kilometre radius of the index farm.”
FMD outbreak: 17 farms confirmed infected in //Kharas

Agriculture & Land

Unattended cattle in Otjiwarongo despite municipal ban enforcement

The News

Members of the public reported approximately 80 unattended cattle near Otjiwarongo plots, with complaints to the municipality, police and veterinary services yielding no immediate response. The Municipality issued a public notice on 28 September 2026 prohibiting unattended livestock within town boundaries, citing road safety risks and foot-and-mouth disease concerns, with impoundment charges set at N$367.60 per animal per day.

20 October 2026 · Namibian Sun →

Yesterday

Unattended cattle in Otjiwarongo despite municipal ban enforcement
Members of the public reported approximately 80 unattended cattle near Otjiwarongo plots, with complaints to the municipality, police and veterinary services yielding no immediate response. The Municipality issued a public notice on 28 September 2026 prohibiting unattended livestock within town boundaries, citing road safety risks and foot-and-mouth disease concerns, with impoundment charges set at N$367.60 per animal per day.
20 October 2026 · Namibian Sun →

Monday 19 October

FMD in livestock unrelated to HFMD in humans, ministry clarifies
The Ministry of Agriculture has clarified that the current Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak in Namibian livestock is completely unrelated to Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease reported in human populations and crèches. FMD is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals but does not infect humans.
19 October 2026 · New Era →
Zambezi farmers say government FMD response unequal and unfair
Livestock farmers in the Zambezi region have questioned what they describe as unequal government response to foot-and-mouth disease, saying their longstanding concerns about the disease and difficulties selling cattle have yet to be adequately addressed, and contrasting their experience with the nationwide restrictions that followed an outbreak in the //Kharas region.
19 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Thursday 15 October

Health ministry clarifies FMD and hand, foot and mouth disease difference
The Ministry of Health and Social Services has warned the public not to confuse foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which affects animals, with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), which commonly affects children. The warning follows the detection of HFMD in 19 pupils at J&W Mouton Primary School near Rehoboth in the Hardap region, with health officials screening affected pupils and instructing them to isolate at home for two weeks.
15 October 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 13 October

Veterinary directorate left N$13.13m unspent in 2024/25
The agriculture ministry's Directorate of Veterinary Services failed to spend more than N$13 million of its N$431.4 million budget during the 2024/25 financial year, spending only N$418.3 million. The underspend was attributed to delays in advertising vacancies, appointing new recruits, procurement delays, late tender awards, and incomplete capital projects — coming as Namibia faces foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks across two regions.
13 October 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 12 October

Meatco places 400 production workers on three-week paid leave
Meatco has sent roughly 400 production workers on three weeks' special leave with full pay from 1 to 23 October in response to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the ||Kharas region, with a review of the situation scheduled for 23 October.
12 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Judge reprimands CPBN over fence tender cancellation dispute
The High Court reprimanded the Central Procurement Board of Namibia for failing to provide proper reasons for cancelling a veterinary cordon fence tender, dismissing an urgent application to stop construction. The ruling came as Namibia confirmed a new foot-and-mouth disease outbreak at Kalala Island in the Zambezi Region, with all 12 cattle samples tested positive on 7 October.
12 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Sunday 11 October

FMD fence construction begins in ||Kharas region
Construction of a veterinary cordon fence along the Orange River in ||Kharas has started to control a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak that has affected 17 farms since last month; the fence is expected to be completed within four months, and a separate containment zone fence construction is expected to begin this week.
11 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Commercial farmer Louw denies involvement in FMD outbreak
Commercial farmer Adriaan Louw has rejected social media allegations linking him to Namibia's foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, saying the claims are "entirely false and without factual basis." He denied smuggling infected animals, illegal vaccination, or introducing the disease, noting that the first positive case was detected on his mother's farm during a routine inspection and that positive cases have since been identified across a wide geographical area.
11 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Namibia uses spatial intelligence to fight foot-and-mouth disease
Namibia is confronting a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak confirmed on 23 September at a commercial farm in Karasburg, which led the World Organisation for Animal Health to suspend Namibia's FMD-free zonal status. The article argues that modern geospatial technology could help Namibia better understand, monitor and manage disease movement across the landscape by tracking connections between farms, markets, water points and wildlife movements.
11 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Farmer denies responsibility for FMD outbreak in Namibia
Adriaan Louw, a commercial farmer whose mother's farm at Graswater in ||Kharas was the first to detect foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) last month, denies allegations that he smuggled livestock into Namibia or illegally vaccinated animals. The outbreak is Namibia's first in the primary commercial livestock zone in 60 years, and as of 5 October had reached 127 cases across 15 farms.
11 October 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 9 October

Foot-and-mouth disease cases reach 129 in Kharas
The Ministry of Agriculture reports that as of 6 October, 129 animal samples tested positive for foot-and-mouth disease in the ||Kharas region, with 17 farms confirmed infected. The ministry has deployed 20 inspection teams, operated 16 veterinary checkpoints, and is tracing livestock movements to contain the outbreak first detected in the Karasburg State Veterinary District.
9 October 2026 · The Namibian →
129 FMD cases confirmed across 17 farms in //Kharas
A total of 129 animal samples have tested positive for Foot and Mouth Disease, with 17 farms confirmed infected in the //Kharas Region as of 6 October. The Ministry of Agriculture has intensified surveillance and movement controls, deployed 20 veterinary teams to farms within a 50-kilometre radius of the index farm, and established 16 checkpoints to restrict animal movement since 25 September.
9 October 2026 · Namibian Sun →

Tuesday 6 October

NAU urges government to swiftly restore EU meat export access
The Namibia Agricultural Union has called on government and industry stakeholders to treat the recovery of export markets with determination following the EU's temporary suspension of certain meat imports from Namibia after an FMD outbreak. The union emphasized that Namibia maintained its FMD-free zone for more than 60 years and expects the suspension to remain temporary, with market restoration beginning immediately.
6 October 2026 · Informanté →
President calls for national cooperation on foot-and-mouth disease
President Nandi-Ndaitwah addressed a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak confirmed on 23 September in the Karasburg Veterinary District of the //Kharas Region, calling for national cooperation to contain the disease, prevent its spread, and protect the livestock and meat industry that sustains families and communities.
6 October 2026 · The Namibian →
EU suspends Namibian beef, sheep, and goat meat imports
The European Union has suspended imports of fresh beef, sheep, and goat meat and related products from Namibia's FMD-free zone following confirmation of 79 new foot-and-mouth disease cases across 11 farms in the ||Kharas region. The World Organisation for Animal Health has revoked Namibia's FMD-free zone status.
6 October 2026 · New Era →
FMD cases rise to 127 across 15 farms in //Kharas
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah announced that 127 confirmed foot-and-mouth disease cases have been detected across 15 farms in //Kharas Region as of 5 October 2026, with surveillance teams having inspected 29,313 animals across 68 farms and 20 surveillance teams and 10 roadblocks established in the region. Cabinet has approved a Critical Containment Response Plan that includes establishing a containment buffer zone in the Karasburg Veterinary District and strengthening biosecurity measures along borders with Botswana and South Africa.
6 October 2026 · Informanté →

Monday 5 October

Namibia needs N$200m to contain ongoing FMD outbreak
Namibia requires approximately N$200 million to strengthen its Foot-and-Mouth Disease containment response, including N$47 million for a 290km disease-control fence. The country has recorded 79 new FMD cases across 11 farms in the Karasburg Veterinary District, with the virus strain identified as SAT-1.
5 October 2026 · New Era →
Government warns farmers against independent FMD vaccination efforts
Farmers in the //Kharas Region have been warned against independently vaccinating livestock or carrying out other disease-control measures as the government contains a Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak that has recorded 79 positive samples across 11 farms. The government plans to introduce vaccination of eligible livestock within the designated containment zone, alongside targeted culling, intensified surveillance, and strict movement controls.
5 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Sunday 4 October

FMD outbreak confirmed at 79 cases across 11 farms
Namibia has recorded 79 confirmed Foot-and-Mouth Disease cases across 11 farms in the Karasburg State Veterinary District, prompting the government to introduce vaccination, targeted culling, intensified surveillance and strict movement controls. The outbreak has suspended Namibia's FMD-free status, affecting international livestock trade, and government has identified a N$190.18 million funding requirement for containment response.
4 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Namibia allocates N$190 million to contain FMD outbreak
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform says it needs N$190.2 million to contain a Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak in the Karasburg area of //Kharas Region, including construction of a 290km disease-control fence. Since FMD was detected on 22 September, 79 samples tested positive across 11 farms.
4 October 2026 · Informanté →

Saturday 3 October

FMD confirmed on 11 farms in ||Kharas region
Agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani announced that 79 animals tested positive for foot-and-mouth disease across 11 farms in the ||Kharas region on Friday. Since the outbreak was confirmed on 23 September, 15,000 animals on 61 farms have been inspected by the Directorate of Veterinary Services.
3 October 2026 · The Namibian →
FMD Support Fund mobilises N$1.5 million in emergency supplies
The FMD Support Fund has mobilised more than N$1.5 million worth of biosecurity products, surveillance kits and camping equipment to support 30 Directorate of Veterinary Services teams responding to the Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak in the //Kharas Region, with supplies provided by industry partners Agra, CYMOT, Agrimark and SWAVET.
3 October 2026 · Informanté →

Thursday 1 October

EU assesses FMD outbreak; support fund mobilises N$1.5m response
The European Union is assessing Namibia's foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and any protective measures needed for EU animal and public health, with the EU commending Namibian authorities' response. The FMD Support Fund has mobilised more than N$1.5 million in biosecurity products, surveillance kits and camping equipment for Namibia's FMD response.
1 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Tuesday 29 September

FMD outbreak may boost charcoal production as livestock income drops
The Charcoal Association of Namibia says the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the ||Kharas region could drive increased charcoal production as farmers seek alternative income sources due to livestock farming disruptions. The outbreak was confirmed in the Karasburg state veterinary district on 23 September, with 63 cattle showing clinical signs detected during routine surveillance.
29 September 2026 · The Namibian →
FMD restrictions lifted in north after negative livestock tests
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has partially lifted restrictions on movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their products north of the veterinary cordon fence after livestock traced from an infected farm in the ||Kharas region tested negative for foot-and-mouth disease. The ministry found the outbreak remained localized and identified no transmission risk to areas north of the fence.
29 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 28 September

Private vets flag FMD response capacity gaps in Karasburg
Private veterinarians supporting Namibia's FMD response have raised concerns over field surveillance capacity and the pace of restrictions being relaxed following the outbreak in Karasburg. They warned that insufficient field teams—only one operating in the affected area as of 25 September despite over 20 volunteers offering to assist—create biosecurity risks, as surveillance teams moving between farms without knowing previous holdings' status could spread the virus.
28 September 2026 · Informanté →
FMD outbreak remains localized to Karasburg in ||Kharas
The Ministry of Agriculture's Directorate of Veterinary Services reports that foot-and-mouth disease detected in the Karasburg Veterinary District is localized to ||Kharas region, with livestock moved to Otjozondjupa tested negative and no evidence of transmission risk to eight northern regions.
28 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Private vets propose nine measures to strengthen FMD surveillance
Private veterinarians supporting Namibia's FMD response have proposed nine measures to strengthen surveillance, improve traceability and speed recovery towards FMD-free status, including deployment of more than 20 volunteers. The proposals include publishing the estimated date of initial infection as a reference point, maintaining surveillance of traced cattle, and announcing compensation arrangements within seven days.
28 September 2026 · Informanté →
Govt partially lifts FMD restrictions north of Veterinary Cordon Fence
The Ministry of Agriculture announced a partial lifting of Foot-and-Mouth Disease restrictions, with movement restrictions on cloven-hoofed animals and their products lifted with immediate effect for the north of the Veterinary Cordon Fence, though movement of such animals and products to the north of the fence remains restricted. The //Kharas region stays locked down, and farmers must monitor livestock for FMD symptoms while adhering to strict biosecurity and testing requirements for animal movement and slaughter.
28 September 2026 · New Era →