Eastern Cape Farmer Blasts Steenhuisen for Failing to Curb Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak

• An Eastern Cape farmer blames the government for failing to control the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak
• Agri Eastern Cape president warned of severe impacts on livestock producers due to vaccine shortages
• Agriculture Minister Steenhuisen acknowledged the crisis and announced a plan for new single-dose vaccine distribution in February

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

An Eastern Cape dairy farmer has blamed Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen’s department for failing to contain the rapid spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) across the province.

Businesses face immediate risk due to FMD

According to News24, Edgar Brotherton, who farms in Khwa (formerly Elliot), warned that his business faced immediate risk, saying the outbreak could have been controlled if vaccines had been supplied to affected communities. He described the department as an obstacle in the ongoing crisis. Agri Eastern Cape president Peter Cloete reported that FMD cases had surged “like wildfire” since the festive season. He said the lack of available vaccines had worsened the impact on livestock producers.

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Brotherton cautioned that delays in vaccine release could lead to destroyed herds, collapsed businesses, and lost rural livelihoods. He likened conditions for farmers to a “war zone,” with infections spreading uncontrollably and no defences in place. Farmers, he said, continued to struggle to safeguard animals while the department maintained restrictions and delayed critical decisions. Cloete called on the government to allow private industry to manufacture vaccines, arguing that the state lacked the capacity to produce them in sufficient quantities. He said it was clear the government could not manage the outbreak alone.

What did Steenhuisen say?

Steenhuisen expressed deep regret over the stress and losses farmers faced. He acknowledged the crisis and noted that he had inherited a department grappling with significant institutional challenges. The minister stated that he is determined to act on the situation, adding that he established the Biosecurity Council to get biosecurity back on track.

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Steenhuisen denied claims that vaccines for the FMD had not been procured, noting that South Africa had been managing the outbreak since 2016. He reported that over two million animals had already received vaccinations and said the country had started producing its own vaccine.

The minister added that the new vaccine would be a single-dose formulation and planned for distribution in February. He emphasised that the government could not allow unrestricted access to vaccines and said he had worked to the best of his ability over the past 12 months, given the resources available.

3 More stories about the FMD

• Briefly News also reported that the Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, has appointed a council to implement the Department of Agriculture's plan to combat foot-and-mouth disease.
• The Southern African Agricultural Initiative is applying pressure on the government to act against the foot-and-mouth disease.
• Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen discussed the impact of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Source: Briefly News