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The DA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) strongly condemns Premier, Thami Ntuli, for his continued refusal to declare a Provincial State of Disaster as the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) crisis spirals out of control across our province.

While national government, under Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, has acted decisively by classifying a National State of Disaster, it is deeply concerning that the worst-affected province remains trapped in hesitation and political calculation.

The Premier’s inaction is not only irresponsible, it is an insult to partners within KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), who have consistently called for urgent, coordinated intervention.

Instead of confronting the severity of the outbreak, his office – communicating jointly with KZN Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) MEC, Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa - has relied on incomplete and questionable data that downplays the true scale of infections on the ground.

KZN’s farmers know the horrific reality: livestock infections are rising, movement controls are weakly enforced, and livelihoods are being destroyed.

This crisis does not require another talk shop. It requires boots on the ground and:
• The urgent procurement of vaccines, delivered directly to farmers;
• Full public disclosure on vaccine quantities and dates;
• A strict ban and monitoring of animal movement, and;
• Visible deployment of SAPS, SANDF support units and veterinary technicians to affected communities to enforce biosecurity protocols.

Only a Provincial State of Disaster can legally unlock emergency procurement mechanisms, fast-track vaccine acquisition and ensure the full mobilisation of provincial resources. Every day of delay compounds economic losses and threatens food security.

The responsibility for this escalation now rests squarely with the Premier’s office.

As a responsible partner within KZN’s GPU the DA distances itself from the untrue and reckless claims made by Premier Thami Ntuli on FMD in our province. We call on farmers, stakeholders and farming communities to unite and demand decisive leadership before irreversible damage is done.

Issued by Sakhile Mngadi, MPL - DA KZN Spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Development