DA slams Gauteng foot-and-mouth disease plan

The DA in Gauteng has accused the provincial government of failing to provide a clear and coordinated plan to contain the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), warning the current response risks worsening the dire situation.

In an open letter to Gauteng MEC for agriculture and rural development Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, DA member of the provincial legislature and shadow MEC for agriculture Bronwynn Engelbrecht said she was concerned about a fragmented and reactive approach to managing the outbreak.

DA accuses Gauteng government of fragmented response

Her comments follow a presentation by the Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development to the portfolio committee in parliament. It confirmed the scale of the crisis.

More than 200 active outbreaks have been recorded in the province, with hundreds of thousands of animals on affected farms considered susceptible, she said.

Engelbrecht said while the briefing acknowledged the seriousness of the outbreak, it failed to provide critical operational detail.

Farmers, she said, still do not know when their animals will be vaccinated, how the vaccination programme will be rolled out, or what timelines government is working towards.

“Farmers cannot effectively protect their herds without clear guidance from government,” Engelbrecht said.

DA demands live tracking dashboard

Although the department presented vaccination data, she said the absence of clear coverage targets and timelines undermines confidence in the programme.

She also called for the introduction of a live tracking dashboard, similar to that used in the Western Cape, to provide transparency on vaccine supply, administration rates, and the number of private veterinarians authorised to assist.

Engelbrecht also questioned the efficacy of movement control measures.

She said that though the department has indicated roadblocks and enforcement actions are being strengthened, no supporting data to substantiate that has been made public.

“Without statistics on inspections, roadblocks, or enforcement actions, it is difficult to assess whether these measures are working,” she said.

Last national report was May last year

Meanwhile, on the national department of agriculture’s website, the last FMD report published was dated 31 May last year.

A statement from the department early this month noted that the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) had released an additional 20 000 locally produced FMD vaccine doses to bolster national vaccination efforts, as part of a broader strategy to scale up production and reduce reliance on imports.

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said expanding local manufacturing capacity would be key to ensuring a sustainable vaccine supply and achieving a target of vaccinating 80% of livestock by year-end.

ARC said it would continue producing around 20 000 doses weekly, adapting output to circulating strains, while imports and local production have contributed to more than 1.7 million animals being vaccinated by late March.

A further 3.5 million doses from international suppliers are expected this month to accelerate the roll-out, with officials saying the increased supply is critical to protecting animal health and safeguarding food security.