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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has invited farmers and various stakeholders affected by the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) to the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture meeting today, where the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) will present their FMD readiness report.

Despite this proactive step by the department, the DA Gauteng has identified several serious shortcomings in GDARD’s latest presentation on the management of the FMD outbreak, which is being considered by the Portfolio Committee this morning.

While the department acknowledges the scale of the outbreak in Gauteng and outlines a range of interventions, the DA Gauteng is concerned that the presentation raises more questions than it answers about provincial readiness, enforcement capacity, and whether current measures are sufficient to contain the disease.

According to the department’s own figures, Gauteng has experienced hundreds of outbreaks, tens of thousands of animals have been slaughtered under control measures, and many have been vaccinated.

Yet the DA is alarmed that the report does not indicate what percentage of Gauteng’s livestock population has been protected. There is no modelling showing whether current vaccine supplies are adequate to suppress viral circulation, and only a handful of mobile handling facilities appear to have been procured for a province-wide vaccination programme.

These gaps raise serious doubts about whether Gauteng is operationally prepared to bring the outbreak under control. Critical animal movement control remains a weak spot, and the department itself concedes that Gauteng’s dense livestock networks, auctions and major feedlots make the province highly vulnerable to FMD spread.

Despite this crisis, the department has acknowledged without shame that movement-control protocols are still described as being in development. No enforcement statistics are provided on inspections, roadblocks or prosecutions for illegal animal movement, and there is little evidence of a coordinated, cross-government enforcement operation.

Without visible and consistent enforcement, vaccination efforts risk being undermined.

The report confirms the presence FMD SAT 1 and SAT 2 strains in Gauteng and even notes a suspected new strain under investigation. The department has not clearly explained how the vaccine is being matched to the current strains in circulation.

Furthermore, there is no indication whether booster programmes are being monitored and how post-vaccination immunity is being measured in the province.  This information is critical for farmers who already had to euthanise some of their livestock due to FMD.

In addition, the department’s presentation does not clearly indicate whether disaster-management mechanisms have been activated to support enforcement, logistics and communication. This is despite the DA urgently requesting activation of the Provincial Disaster Management Centre almost three weeks ago.

The DA believes that the absence of visible disaster-level coordination in a province facing sustained outbreaks is a major concern that requires urgent clarification.

Gauteng’s farmers, feedlot operators, and rural communities are carrying the heavy burden of this outbreak. They deserve transparency, decisive provincial leadership and a response that matches the scale of the crisis.

The DA Gauteng will continue to push for accountability, better coordination, and urgent improvements to Gauteng’s FMD response to protect livelihoods, food security and the provincial economy.

Issued by Bronwynn Engelbrecht MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development