Parliament has approved a report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economics and Public Administration recommending the removal of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (VCF), commonly known as the “Red Line.”
The report, aimed at improving market access for livestock farmers in Namibia’s Northern Communal Areas (NCAs), was tabled earlier this month by Deputy Prime Minister Natangwe Ithete.
Following the report’s approval, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, along with other relevant Offices, Ministries, and Agencies (OMAs), has been directed to revise policy frameworks and amend existing legislation within three months to allow NCA farmers access to livestock markets south of the veterinary cordon fence.
“The veterinary cordon fence should only be used to control the outbreak of diseases and not to prohibit citizens from moving their animals outside the veterinary cordon fence or any other products that are prohibited,” Ithete said.
The recommendation comes in response to a petition submitted by the Lisha Empowerment and Development Organization on November 14, 2022, urging the National Assembly to address challenges faced by communal farmers due to restrictions imposed by the VCF.
The petition was referred to the committee, which conducted public consultations and oversight visits across the NCAs, including Kunene, Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, Zambezi, Kavango East, and Kavango West regions.
According to the committee’s report, the VCF policy disproportionately disadvantages northern communal farmers by restricting their access to lucrative markets.
“The Veterinary Cordon Fence Policy needs to be reviewed as it was designed to favour a minority group at the expense of the majority of Namibians,” the report stated.
Implemented during the German colonial era, the VCF was initially intended to control infectious livestock diseases. While the policy has enabled Namibia to export beef to the European Union and other international markets, critics argue that it marginalizes over 2.5 million cattle in the NCAs, compared to the 1.3 million cattle south of the fence.
The report also highlights poor maintenance of critical livestock infrastructure, including quarantine farms, crush pens, auction pens, and abattoirs, which exacerbates market challenges for communal farmers.
“Freedom from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) cannot be achieved with a porous border line between Namibia and Angola, as it is difficult to prevent cross-border movements of livestock,” the report noted.
Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has proposed stricter border control measures to prevent the spread of diseases such as FMD and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) while ensuring fair market opportunities for all farmers.
