South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, has raised concerns over the growing spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the country, with 274 unresolved outbreaks reported across several provinces.
These include KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Free State, North West, and Mpumalanga, where cases have been confirmed in various cattle farming systems—commercial beef herds, animal breeding, feedlots, dairy cattle, and communal herds.
In a media briefing in Cape Town, Steenhuisen expressed alarm at reports of farmers moving cattle showing symptoms of the disease without proper reporting or treatment, warning that such actions could further entrench FMD as an endemic issue in South Africa. He stressed the importance of farmers adhering to regulations designed to curb the disease’s spread.
While the outbreak in Eastern Cape last year has been contained, and the Western and Northern Cape provinces remain disease-free, the situation remains critical in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, where new cases continue to surface.
To tackle the outbreak, South Africa launched a nationwide FMD vaccination campaign in late June. The campaign, which has already distributed around 500,000 doses in affected provinces, is set to expand with an additional 400,000 doses recently delivered. The vaccination effort will now focus on the Free State, Mpumalanga, North West, and Gauteng provinces to prevent further spread.
The government is working to contain the disease and prevent long-term economic impact on the country’s vital agricultural sector.
