MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / MTT Report Finally Released

MTT Report Finally Released

Dear Editor

Earlier this year, the DA wrote to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, requesting her to present a report of the Ministerial Task Team (MTT) that she established in August 2021 to investigate animal biosecurity with an emphasis on foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), African swine fever (ASF), and highly pathogenic avian Influenza (AI).

The Minister promised to release this report by the end of April 2022. Since then, South Africa experienced the highest number of foot and mouth diseases with six out of the nine provinces reporting the outbreak of FMD in 2022 while the animal biosecurity report was held in a locked cabinet.

A year later, on 24 March 2023, the reply received from Minister Didiza was that the report has been finalized, and its recommendations are currently being implemented. However, members of the portfolio committee on agriculture, land reform and rural development were never briefed or presented with the report.

During yesterday’s budget vote 29 on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, the DA again expressed its unhappiness about the establishment of multiple task teams with no reports being tabled before the committee. The report was subsequently released after the budget vote, yet unacceptably without a plan of action from her department. (Please find the report attached.)

However, the report comes too little too late for many horse and sheep farmers who have already lost their herds because they were unable to vaccinate on time due to shortages of the African horse sickness and blue tongue vaccines. The livestock industry is experiencing carnage because of promises of vaccines that were not kept.

While the reply from the Minister indicated that there are already actions in place, the DA calls for the urgent release of the implementation plan and the scorecard linked to the plan.

The DA shall study the report and make pronouncements and recommendations on areas that the Minister needs to address with immediate effect.

Regards

Noko Masipa MP
DA Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Fun South African fact

    Dear Editor Fun South African fact: towns like Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are home to world-class wine farms set in stunning, scenic surroundings. Regards Aressa Smith In Response to/From: Luxury Properties Seized in New Lottery Crackdown

  • Condolences on the Passing of Lusanda Dumke

    Statement by Leander Kruger MPL – DA Buffalo City Constituency Leader: The Democratic Alliance in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality mourns the passing of Springbok Women’s rugby player and Mdantsane trailblazer, Lusanda Dumke, who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 28. South Africa has lost an exceptional athlete, a leader, and a source…

  • Rape Kits Delivered, But…

    Statement by Nicholas Gotsell MP – DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice: The DA can confirm that 2 840 rape kits arrived in Cape Town on Monday, following sustained DA oversight and pressure after multiple police stations across the Western Cape were found to be without this critical forensic evidence tool. While this delivery…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. South Africa is such a great country and an African Sunset is on my bucket list, do you have any accommodation and/or tour recommendations for the Cape Town Area?

  6. I know that this is off-topic so I will just jump right in and say that MyZA Directory has been great for my business.

  9. I know that this is off-topic so I will just jump right in and say that MyZA Directory has been great for my business.