Foot-And-Mouth Disease: Government’s Years of Dereliction of Duty

The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) insists that a state of disaster be declared to contain the crisis of foot-and-mouth disease in the beef industry. This drastic step is warranted, because ministerial task teams’ recommendations have not been implemented since 2016.

Foot-and-mouth disease is like any other contagious disease: if it is detected early and its spread is contained, it will not turn into a crisis.

It is a well-known fact that African buffalo are natural carriers of the disease and that the beef industry should always remain watchful to prevent transmission to cattle. For this reason, Onderstepoort stockpiled vaccines for decades to nip outbreaks in the bud.

In 2016, the then Minister of Agriculture, Ms Thoko Didiza, appointed a task team to investigate the threat posed by foot-and-mouth disease amid decline at Onderstepoort Biological Products – an entity within that Department.

The task team’s recommendations were not followed through. The same applies to a new task team appointed in 2021 to investigate the matter. Yet another task team, appointed in September 2025, is currently running into a wall of inaction.

In 2016, the disease was no more than a potential threat, but by the end of 2024, it had already caused massive damage in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

In May 2025, due to government’s persistent failure to act, it had spread to some of the country’s largest feedlots, proving that half-hearted measures have failed.

At the heart of the problem lies the lack of available vaccines and their cost as well as qualified officials to administer them, and effective control over animal movement. Quarantine measures only help if they are enforced.

Declaring a state of disaster would mean that additional public funds could be secured and spent exclusively on curbing the disease. The capacity to manufacture the correct vaccine exists in South Africa, but it has to be activated.

Vaccinations should be administered on private and communal land. Private veterinarians should be involved, as government simply does not employ enough qualified personnel. Government must pay for the vaccines.

In addition, more abattoirs should be accredited to slaughter infected animals. It is important to note that the meat of infected animals poses no danger.

The risk of spread from abattoirs is managed through the way waste is handled. Farmers simply cannot survive if they cannot market their livestock. It could also lead to overgrazing.

Law-enforcement agencies and farm watches have to work together to ensure that quarantine measures are stringently enforced on all roads. It is also important to make the electronic tracking of livestock standard practice.

This crisis loomed for a long time, but it escalated significantly under the current Minister. It would be an unforgivable failure if he does not act with urgency.

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