On Sunday, 8 February 2026, Premier Alan Winde, and provincial Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer, provided an update on the coordinated efforts to address the national Foot-and-Mouth disease outbreak in the Western Cape.
“We are acting swiftly with all stakeholders to get ahead of this outbreak. The Western Cape Government will set aside R100 million to procure enough vaccine doses to protect livestock,” stressed Premier Winde.
24/7 border controls have been in place since Wednesday, with consideration being given to complete border closures and a permit system for cross-border trade. In outbreak areas, animal movement is prohibited.
A 21-point plan is being urgently implemented. The plan includes:
- Movement control, including 24/7 border controls and a permit system.
- Monitoring, surveillance, and traceability, through on-the-ground rapid response from veterinary services.
- Protocols such as communication, by-law enforcement, and contingency plans.
- Recovery involving cleaning operations and monitoring quarantine areas.
We are awaiting confirmation from national Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, to implement a border permit system and procure vaccines as a provincial government.
A number of confirmed and suspected outbreaks in the province are at various stages of management and control.
Since the confirmed Gouda outbreak in November 2025, the disease has been successfully resolved through strong cooperation between various role players. All animals on the infected farm were slaughtered after a suitable abattoir was approved, and the farm is currently undergoing cleaning and disinfection.
On Wednesday, 4 February 2026, a private veterinarian from Wellington informed his local state veterinarian of a suspected FMD case in the Mbekweni area, following a report from the owner of the cattle. The premises were visited immediately, and samples were flown to Pretoria by an Animal Health Technician on the same day. The farmer and surrounding cattle owners were placed under provisional quarantine, pending laboratory results.
FMD was confirmed on the morning of Friday, 6 February 2026. Animal health officials immediately commenced vaccination of the affected cattle, as well as cattle belonging to surrounding owners.
An investigation is currently underway to determine the extent of the outbreak and to establish what control measures will be required to prevent further spread.
Suspected cases have been reported and inspected in George, Mossel Bay, Mfuleni, Makhaza, and Kalkfontein. Blood samples have been collected and sent to the laboratory, and the Department will commence vaccination in the area with immediate effect.
“The Western Cape Government is taking the necessary action to slow the spread of FMD and vaccinate herds. Our focus is on protecting a critical multi-billion Rand industry which employs 50,000 residents,” said Premier Winde.
FMD is a controlled disease, and any suspicion of the disease must be reported immediately to the nearest state veterinarian. The disease is highly contagious and can spread through direct contact with infected animals, as well as via vehicles, equipment, clothing and feed. Farmers are therefore urged to purchase animals only from trusted sources, restrict access to their animals, and clean and disinfect any equipment, vehicles, footwear and clothing that may have had contact with other livestock — in line with good biosecurity practices.
FMD affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, and causes painful sores in the mouth and around the hooves. The disease does not affect humans.
Movement of livestock to and within the Western Cape must also be reported using the web application at:
https://tinyurl.com/AnimalMovementApp
This enables Western Cape Veterinary Services to identify high-risk movements.
Information packs have been made available to animal and farm owners, auctions and livestock transporters to ensure awareness of responsibilities and applicable regulations. These are available at:
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