Zimbabwe’s Chief Director of Veterinary Services, Pious Makaya, says efforts to control the spread of Foot-and-Mouth Disease are increasingly focused on limiting contact between buffalo and cattle, which authorities identify as the primary source of recurring outbreaks.
Officials say buffalo-to-cattle interaction remains the leading driver of infections, prompting renewed measures to curb transmission, particularly in areas bordering wildlife zones such as Gonarezhou National Park.
The update was shared at a livestock conference held last week at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo under the theme “Advancing Livestock Value Chains for Economic Development”.
Speaking at the conference, Makaya said authorities were prioritising efforts to reduce contact between the two species.
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“Buffalo-to-cattle contact remains the primary driver of FMD outbreaks in Zimbabwe. We want to mitigate that by completing fencing projects. We have made progress in Gonarezhou, but work is not yet complete. We hope to finish and extend this to other national parks,” he said.
He added that incomplete or damaged fencing has allowed buffalo, known carriers of the virus, to mix with domestic livestock, increasing the risk of outbreaks that continue to disrupt the livestock sector and trade.
Makaya said authorities would enforce stricter biosecurity measures in private conservancies and properties with compromised fencing.
“We have already started relocating buffalo from conservancies that do not meet biosecurity requirements. Where owners fail to comply with legislation, we will either move the animals to secure areas or take further action,” he said.
He acknowledged that buffalo remain an important economic asset, particularly for tourism, and cannot be eliminated.
“The buffalo is here to stay because it is also a key tourism asset that contributes to the economy,” he said.
Instead, Zimbabwe is shifting towards strategies that allow coexistence with wildlife while reducing disease transmission. These include zoning the country into vaccination and protected areas, although maintaining strict zones has proved challenging.
Makaya said countries in the Southern African Development Community are exploring different approaches to managing the disease. These include applying for disease-free status through the World Organisation for Animal Health, with or without vaccination, or adopting widespread vaccination programmes.
Another approach gaining support is compartmentalisation, where individual farms implement strict biosecurity standards aligned with international guidelines.
Under this system, farms that meet required standards can be certified as disease-free, improving their ability to trade even in regions where the disease remains present.
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