BULL AND BURDEN Minister Dikoloti survives crash, vows fight against FMD
Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, survived a dramatic road accident on Saturday night when his vehicle struck a cow while travelling to Jackalas 1 for a crucial kgotla meeting on the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak.
The incident, which occurred as the Minister was en route to address residents of Jackalas 1 and surrounding villages, left the cow dead but spared all occupants of the vehicle. Dr Dikoloti, his private secretary, and the driver escaped without injury.
On Sunday morning, the Minister stood before villagers at the kgotla and confirmed the accident, remarking that he had “survived to tell the story.” His words carried symbolic weight in a community already grappling with the devastating impact of FMD on their livestock.
The irony of the accident was not lost on those gathered: a cow struck down on the road just hours before the Minister was to announce sweeping measures to protect cattle from a disease ravaging herds in the northern districts.
Dr Dikoloti revealed that recent tests had confirmed infections at the Jackalas 1 crush in the Tsamaya Extension Area, within Disease Control Zone 6B. He announced that vaccination of all cattle in the area would begin Tuesday, urging farmers to present their animals for the exercise.
Government has allocated P97 million to the fight against FMD, covering vaccines, fence maintenance, and manpower deployment. A Command Center has also been established to coordinate the response.
The Minister further encouraged residents to form a WhatsApp group to alert security personnel about illegal border crossings, which have been linked to the spread of the disease.
For villagers, the Minister’s accident highlighted the urgency of the crisis. Just as one cow was lost on the road, thousands more remain at risk from the scourge of FMD. Yet the message from Jackalas 1 was clear: survival depends on swift action, and the fight against the disease must be relentless.
