Minister Steenhuisen pushing for state of disaster over foot-and-mouth crisis
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has unveiled a 10-year plan to tackle South Africa’s crippling foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
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Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen says he will ask Cabinet to declare foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) a national disaster as he unveiled a 10-year plan to tackle South Africa’s crippling outbreak.
“We hope that the state of disaster declaration will allow us, through the NatJOINTS system, to be able to get greater cooperation from the SAPS, municipal and provincial traffic departments and the SANDF and assist with movement control," the minister said.
The plan comes as pressure continues to mount on the government to act decisively amid widespread livestock losses, halted meat exports, and growing fears over the country’s food security.
The crisis has also led to rising meat prices in the country, with experts warning that South Africans could face further financial shocks if the outbreak is not contained quickly.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Steenhuisen said that he had been inundated with pleas from farmers, both commercial and communal, struggling under the financial and emotional toll of the ongoing outbreaks.
He vowed a phased, science-based strategy that includes targeted vaccinations, stricter livestock movement controls, and upgraded disease surveillance, while emphasising that the fight against the disease will require cooperation from all sectors of the agricultural industry.
"Our strategy will be phased over ten years, beginning with stabilisation and consolidation, before moving toward the eventual withdrawal of vaccination and final recognition of national freedom through vaccination by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). This is a long-term commitment to the health of our economy and the security of our food supply," Steenhuisen said.
"I need to emphasise that vaccination is not a silver bullet to eradicate or manage this disease. It is merely one of the tools that can and should be used to combat FMD."
He added that the success of the plan hinges on timely reporting of outbreaks, strict adherence to movement controls, and rapid vaccination in high-risk areas.
Steenhuisen highlighted that almost two million animals have already been vaccinated since the outbreak began and that the government is working with both local and international partners to ensure a steady supply of high-quality vaccines.
"We are sourcing vaccines from the Botswana Vaccine Institute, Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina, and Dollvet in Turkey, while local production through ARC and Onderstepoort Biological Products is being ramped up," he said.
"All vaccines will undergo antigenic matching at the Pirbright Institute to ensure they are effective against South Africa’s circulating strains."
A Ministerial Advisory Task Team, composed of top veterinary scientists and industry specialists, will oversee the rollout of the strategy to ensure it is technically sound and coordinated across provinces.
The plan also includes province-specific vaccination targets, with the hardest-hit provinces seeing 100% coverage in feedlots and dairy herds, 90% in commercial livestock, and 80% in communal areas. Border hotspots and wildlife-adjacent zones will receive biannual vaccination campaigns, while moderate-risk provinces will have targeted vaccination in designated protection zones.
Steenhuisen stressed the role of technology and surveillance in controlling the outbreak, noting the rollout of a digital livestock traceability system (LITS) and real-time digital heatmaps through the Red Meat Industry Services Operational Centre to track outbreaks. Laboratory capacity is also being strengthened to ensure faster diagnosis and monitoring of the disease.
"The cooperation of every citizen and all sectors of the agricultural industry is critical. By protecting our national herd, we are protecting our future," Steenhuisen said.
mthobisi.nozulela@iol.co.za
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