Farming Groups Welcome John Steenhuisen’s Removal As Agriculture Minister Amid Ongoing FMD Crisis
- Farming groups and AfriForum have weighed in on the decision to remove John Steenhuisen as the Minister of Agriculture
- Steenhuisen, who Willie Aucamp replaced, clashed with farmers over the best way to tackle the foot-and-mouth disease crisis
- Steenhuisen will now take up the role of Deputy Minister in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition after his demotion
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
AfriForum and some farming groups have welcomed the removal of John Steenhuisen as Agriculture Minister amid the ongoing battle against the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
Steenhuisen, the former leader of the Democratic Alliance, was removed as minister and replaced with Willie Aucamp on 17 June 2026. Aucamp is tasked with resolving ongoing legal proceedings related to FMD and working with the entire sector to overcome the crisis while restoring confidence.
Steenhuisen will now take up the role of Deputy Minister in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. The former Agriculture Minister had a tense relationship with some farming groups, even branding them as 'AfriMAGA" troublemakers.
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Steenhuisen’s tense history with farming groups
Steenhuisen’s demotion has been welcomed by several groups, particularly given his fraught history with some in the farming sector.
Steenhuisen has clashed with farming groups as the FMD crisis worsened, and in May 2026, the Gauteng High Court ruled in favour of Sakeliga, the Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI), and Free State Agriculture against Steenhuisen and his department.
The court granted an interim order which allows livestock owners and managers to independently procure and administer lawfully imported or manufactured FMD vaccines.
Things didn’t get better in June as it emerged that his Chief of Staff, Jana le Roux, forwarded a letter from the livestock group FMD Response SA to senior department officials. She added a remark to the letter, saying: "Attached just received for some amusement."
Source: Getty Images
Farming groups and AfriForum welcome the move
Reacting to the news of Steenhuisen’s demotion, SAAI's board chairperson, Theo de Jager, said that a complete overhaul of the country's response to FMD was much needed. He welcomed Aucamp's appointment, describing it as good news.
"Willie Aucamp's roots are deep in agriculture," he said.
De Jager added that Aucamp had always acted as an intermediary between the DA and farming groups that didn’t have access to Steenhuisen.
AfriForum's Environmental Affairs Manager, Lambert de Klerk, also said that Aucamp’s appointment was a chance to rectify the FMD situation.
"Serious mistakes were made at a time when this department had to look after the interests of farmers," he noted.
Lambert added that Aucamp should encourage and facilitate the devolution of responsibilities to the farmers themselves regarding FMD.
South Africa receives 1 million FMD vaccines
Briefly News reported in February 2026 that the first shipment of one million FMD vaccines arrived at OR Tambo International Airport.
The then Agriculture Minister, Steenhuisen, expressed confidence that the vaccines would help the country get ahead of the outbreak.
Social media users weighed in on the arrival of the vaccines, with some noting that it was not manufactured locally.
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Source: Briefly News
