DA members in Gauteng differ with minister on foot-and-mouth disease
Members of the DA in Gauteng have shown their unhappiness with the handling of the foot-and-mouth (FMD) crisis by party leader and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, calling for the Gauteng authorities to go it alone and declare a provincial disaster.
Gauteng should no longer wait for direction from national government and must use provincial disaster powers to take control of the FMD crisis, said agricultural expert Theo de Jager. He said the second sphere of government, provinces, was now best-placed to act decisively.
Calls for FMD to be declared a disaster
De Jager said the outbreak has spread so widely that reliance on national coordination alone has become a liability, particularly for provinces like Gauteng that are at the centre of South Africa’s livestock movement network.
“When a controlled disease is present in seven out of nine provinces, the system needs more than policy statements.
“Provinces have disaster powers for a reason. They can mobilise police, close roads and enforce movement controls in a way agriculture departments simply cannot,” he said.
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His sentiment runs parallel with growing pressure from the DA in Gauteng, which is calling for the province to formally activate disaster management protocols and consider declaring FMD a provincial disaster.
‘Vaccination alone will not stop the disease’
The party argued that Gauteng’s role as a major thoroughfare for cattle, combined with its concentration of feedlots and abattoirs, makes inaction especially risky.
DA Gauteng spokesperson on agriculture Bronwyn Engelbrecht said the province’s geographic position means it is effectively a pressure point for the national beef and dairy industry, regardless of where outbreaks originate.
“Even if FMD starts elsewhere, animals move through Gauteng constantly. From communal areas to auctions, feedlots and abattoirs, this province is a hub. Vaccination alone will not stop the disease if animal movement is not controlled,” Engelbrecht said.
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Disaster Management Centre closed
She said the urgency of provincial intervention was underscored by the discovery that Gauteng’s Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) was closed and non-operational during an oversight visit, reportedly because electricity accounts had not been paid.
At the time, no provincial disaster management protocols had been activated and no response had been received from the MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs following a formal request to do so.
Under the Disaster Management Act, the PDMC is required to monitor disasters, assess risk, coordinate early warning systems, advise the premier on disaster declarations and oversee enforcement measures, including movement restrictions.
‘Failure in leadership’
Engelbrecht said a closed centre during an escalating outbreak amounted to a breakdown in statutory governance.
“A disaster management centre exists for moments like this. If it is not operational, the province cannot coordinate enforcement at auctions, feedlots or transport corridors. That is not a technical problem, it’s a failure in leadership,” she said.
“The department of agriculture does not have a police force. They cannot close roads or stop trucks. Provincial disaster declarations allow police and other departments to act. Right now, police commissioners are saying they are ready, but nobody has pushed the button,” said De Jager.
He said Gauteng had already shown signs of preparedness, having engaged with farmers, veterinarians and agri-businesses, as well as academic institutions.
Engelbrecht and De Jager said the economic consequences of delay were mounting. “This is not just about animal health, it is about livelihoods and food security,” Engelbrecht said.
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