John Steenhuisen Appoints Council To Combat Foot-and-Mount Disease Outbreak in SA
- The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, has appointed a council to implement the Department of Agriculture's plan to combat Foot-and-Mouth Disease
- Farmers across the country have pleaded with the government to intervene in the deadly outbreak that resulted in the death of cattle and livestock
- South Africans questioned the timing of the appointment of the council, as many believed that the government lacked urgency in addressing the outbreak
For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.
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PRETORIA — The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, appointed the FMD (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) Industry Coordination Council in response to pleas from farmers to address the outbreak of FMD.
Steenhuisen posted a statement on his @jsteenhuisen X account, announcing on 21 January 2026. Steenhuisen said that the Council will form a partnership with the Department of Agriculture and the Technical and Scientific Task Team. The Department is responsible for policy, regulatory support, and resourcing, and the Technical and Scientific Task Team will be responsible for offering scientific, veterinary, and epidemiological expertise.
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What will be the purpose of the Council?
Steenhuisen said that the FMD Industry Coordination Council will provide operational insight, strategic guidance, and unified industry output. He also said that the council has been tasked with aligning industry efforts with national FMD control measures.
"These include establishing and operating an industry coordination mechanism to mobilize sector actions; consolidating industry situational information; coordinating industry communication, supporting implementation readiness for traceability and audit-ready record-keeping required formovement compliance and compartmentalized operations; and facilitating non-statutory logistics, including training, awareness, and implementation monitoring," he said.
Read the full statement on X here:
Who are the members of the Council?
The council members include Johann Kotze, Bennie van Zyl, Theo Boshoff, Frikkie Mare, Fanie Ferreira, Marlene Louw, Bongani Msimang, Kobus Bester, and Dewald Olivier. Steenhuisen added that the council will commence its work this week and has requested an urgent meeting with the Technical and Scientific Task Team.
Steehuisen discussed the Foot-and-Mouth Disease and its impact at the FMD Indaba in Tshwane on 21 July 2025. He admitted that a lack of a functional regionalisation framework caused an economic fallout.
South Africans unmoved
Netizens commenting on X were not convinced that the appointment of the Council was timeous.
MK Party Stan said:
"You're 12 months late."
Kieron Dean said:
"If this tweet were dated in December, it would have been helpful."
Bic Mitchum said:
"You can just do stuff. You don't need to be part of a council."
Bassie said:
"Handing in your sloppy homework late isn't anything to be impressed about. Should've been done a long time ago."
Marius said:
"You are managing a crisis as if you are a deployed cadre."
Dion George accuses John Steenhuisen of being captured
In a similar article, Briefly News reported that former Democratic Alliance member Dion George accused Steenhuisen of being captured by the African National Congress. He spoke after he resigned from the DA.
He slammed Steenhuisen during an interview on 15 January 2025. He said Steenhuisen muzzled the DA's Parliamentary caucus into silence on issues crucial to the country.
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Source: Briefly News
