FMD: The Systematic Abandonment of Small-scale and Emerging Farmers

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has begun receiving an overwhelming number of submissions from farmers across South Africa who have suffered devastating losses due to the outbreak and mismanagement of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) by Democratic Alliance (DA) Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and his department.

These submissions paint a painful and consistent picture of collapsing livelihoods, the absence of meaningful state support, delayed or completely absent veterinary intervention, and the systematic abandonment of small-scale and emerging farmers. The EFF notes with serious concern that the majority, if not all, of the affected farmers who have come forward are Black farmers.

This reality once again exposes the deeply racialised inequality in South Africa’s agricultural sector, where Black farmers are left vulnerable and unsupported in times of crisis, while established commercial sectors are better insulated from such devastation.

The submissions received span across multiple provinces and rural regions, including KwaZulu-Natal, where farmers from areas such as Newcastle, Port Shepstone and Vryheid have reported severe losses, as well as in the Eastern Cape, particularly in rural villages such as Lusikisiki. Farmers in Limpopo, including Tzaneen and Mokgolobotho, have also come forward, alongside those in Mpumalanga in the Nkangala District, and the Free State in Harrismith. These are predominantly rural and working-class areas where livestock is not a luxury, but a primary source of income, food security, and generational survival.

The testimonies received by the EFF reflect unbearable and deeply personal loss. Farmers describe how their cattle began showing symptoms such as loss of appetite, sores in the mouth and feet, fatigue, and eventual collapse, often dying one after the other while they struggled to access any form of assistance. In many cases, veterinarians either did not arrive in time or only collected samples without administering vaccines, leaving farmers to rely on their own limited resources to try and save their livestock.

Others were forced to spend what little savings they had on feed, supplements, and medication, with no success, as entire herds were wiped out. Some farmers lost not only their livestock, but also pregnant animals and unborn offspring, compounding the scale of their losses and eliminating future income.

The most devastating case received thus far is that of a farmer whose entire operation was brought to its knees after losing 221 cows, 8 bulls, and 190 weaners. Weaners are young cattle that have recently been separated from their mothers and are typically raised either for sale or breeding, making them a critical component of a farmer’s income cycle.

This farmer had taken a loan of R6 million to build a sustainable farming enterprise and had grown his herd to nearly 300 cattle. Within a matter of weeks, the outbreak wiped out the bulk of his livestock, including weaners valued at approximately R1.9 million, bulls valued at R200,000, and cows valued at over R4.1 million. This catastrophic loss has left him financially ruined, indebted, and unable to recover without intervention.

Across all submissions, a clear and undeniable pattern emerges of systemic failure. Farmers consistently report that vaccines were either unavailable or unaffordable, that there was no timely veterinary response, that no early warning systems or awareness campaigns were in place, and that there exists no accessible compensation mechanism for those who have suffered losses. Small-scale farmers, particularly in rural areas, have effectively been left to fend for themselves in the face of a national agricultural crisis.

The EFF emphasises that these farmers are victims of state negligence and policy failure, and their losses are a direct consequence of the government’s inability to manage and contain the outbreak effectively. There is still no coherent plan by DA Minister Steenhuisen to deal with this disease effectively, as the department of Agriculture remains understaffed, and the rollout process of the vaccine remains unclear.

The EFF has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly in terms of Rule 130(1) of the Rules of the National Assembly, to schedule a debate on a matter of national importance regarding the devastation caused by the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak. This outbreak threatens food security in South Africa, and the EFF proposes that all farmers affected by FMD be financially compensated for their losses. We will explore options including but not limited to urgent legislation and resolution, which will compel government to compensate farmers. This compensation must prioritise small-scale and Black farmers who have been disproportionately affected and historically excluded from meaningful agricultural support. The EFF will continue to collect submissions, amplify the voices of affected farmers, and fight relentlessly for land, food security, and the dignity of Black farmers.

The EFF first contested elections in 2014, securing 6.4% of the vote in the national elections.

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