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Farmers across the North West Province are being left exposed by the provincial Department of Agriculture during the ongoing Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak.
While the Minister of Agriculture has acted decisively at national level to stabilise the situation and outline a national response, the North West MEC for Agriculture, Madoda Sambatha, has failed to provide farmers with a clear provincial implementation plan or meaningful engagement. This lack of leadership creates uncertainty at a time when we urgently need decisive coordination and reassurance.
The impact of this failure is already being felt in livestock-dependent districts such as Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Ngaka Modiri Molema, and Bojanala Platinum, where animal movement is difficult to monitor, and veterinary capacity is limited.
Although vaccine procurement and national policy direction rest with national government, the success of FMD containment depends heavily on provincial execution. This includes:
- The designation and management of FMD-controlled or FMD-free abattoirs to ensure continuity of slaughter and market access;
- Strict biosecurity enforcement at abattoirs, feedlots, auctions, and collection points;
- Coordinated and enforceable animal movement controls within and across districts; and
- Regular, clear communication with farmers and industry stakeholders.
To date, there is little evidence that these responsibilities are being met in the North West.
Of serious concern is the province’s apparent lack of readiness to implement mass vaccination once doses become available. There has been no public indication of:
- A consolidated provincial register of state, private, and contracted veterinarians available for immediate deployment;
- A coordinated plan to mobilise veterinary capacity across rural districts such as Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati and Ngaka Modiri Molema; or
- Advance planning to procure and position handling pens required for safe, efficient vaccination and post-vaccination monitoring.
The absence of these fundamental operational components could cause delays in the delivery of vaccines or uneven implementation, especially in remote and high-risk areas.
The North West is a high-risk province for FMD, and in the absence of strong provincial coordination, uncertainty persists around legal slaughter points, biosecurity standards, and animal movement controls. This uncertainty undermines national disease-control efforts and places farmers, food security, and the provincial livestock economy at risk.
The Democratic Alliance therefore demands that the North West MEC for Agriculture:
- Immediately publish a clear, province-specific FMD implementation plan aligned with the national strategy; and
- Convene regular district-level briefings with farmers and stakeholders, supported by written guidance.
Farmers deserve clarity, leadership, and support — not silence.
The DA will continue to stand with North West farmers and will relentlessly hold the provincial government to account where it fails to protect livelihoods, food security, and the agricultural economy.
Issued by Jóhni Steenkamp - DA Spokesperson on Agriculture in the North West
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