The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture has concluded its engagements with the Minister of Agriculture, provincial MECs for agriculture and senior officials from the national and provincial departments of agriculture on provincial interventions to combat Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).
The committee called for urgent measures to address structural weaknesses that continue to undermine South Africa’s ability to contain and ultimately eradicate the disease. It welcomed the progress made in scaling up the national vaccination programme, including government’s procurement of 17 million vaccine doses, with a further four million doses expected, as well as the decision to broaden vaccine distribution through the private sector and expand the pool of authorised vaccinators. It said these developments represent an important step towards a more coordinated national response.
The committee further commended several provinces for the progress achieved despite severe resource constraints. It noted that the North West has vaccinated close to 85 per cent of its cattle population, while both the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal have surpassed the 50 per cent vaccination mark, with KwaZulu-Natal having vaccinated more than 1.3 million cattle. The committee acknowledged that provinces with large livestock populations, including KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and the Eastern Cape, require sustained resources to complete vaccination programmes.
The committee expressed concern, however, that the Eastern Cape which has the country’s largest cattle herd of approximately 3.6 million cattle, has vaccinated fewer than 40 per cent of its livestock and requires urgent national support to accelerate its vaccination campaign.
While recognising the progress made across provinces, including Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape and the Western Cape, the committee emphasised that South Africa’s response to FMD remains constrained by longstanding structural challenges.
Among the committee’s major concerns is the severe shortage of veterinarians, Animal Health Technicians, data capturers and other technical personnel. Members of the committee heard that high vacancy rates continue to delay vaccination campaigns, disease surveillance, reporting and data management placing additional pressure on already limited veterinary capacity.
The committee also noted that inadequate funding remains one of the greatest obstacles to effective disease control. Provinces consistently reported that current budget allocations are insufficient to sustain vaccination campaigns, surveillance activities, quarantine operations, livestock movement control and disease monitoring. The committee stressed that sustainable funding must become a national priority if South Africa is to restore its animal health status, safeguard food security and protect export markets.
The committee further observed uneven implementation of the Livestock Identification and Traceability System (LITS), with some provinces reporting shortages of electronic identification tags, computer equipment, technical support and personnel. The committee reiterated that an effective traceability system is fundamental to disease control, market access and international confidence in South African livestock products.
Members also raised concerns about weaknesses in enforcement, including illegal livestock movements, porous provincial and international borders, inadequate quarantine infrastructure, the shortage of municipal animal pounds and inconsistent compliance with disease reporting requirements. The Committee said these challenges require stronger coordination between national, provincial and local government, together with law enforcement agencies.
The committee welcomed the department’s commitment to modernising South Africa’s animal health system through the implementation of regulations under the Animal Health Act and the strengthening of livestock identification systems.
The Acting Chairperson of the Committee, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, said the engagements demonstrated that vaccine availability alone would not eradicate FMD. “Success will require adequate funding, skilled personnel, modern traceability systems, strengthened border management, effective enforcement, improved infrastructure and sustained cooperation between all spheres of government and industry stakeholders,” she said.
The committee has requested regular progress reports from the department on vaccine procurement and distribution, provincial vaccination performance, recruitment of veterinary personnel and Animal Health Technicians, implementation of the Livestock Identification and Traceability System, strengthening of quarantine infrastructure and municipal animal pounds, progress in finalising regulations under the Animal Health Act, and implementation of the long-term national roadmap towards FMD control and eventual eradication.
The committee further noted that although FMD has been classified as a disaster, this is distinct from the declaration of a state of disaster. The committee supports the declaration of FMD as a disaster to enable the release of emergency funding and additional resources to assist affected provinces and vulnerable farmers who continue to suffer significant livestock losses.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to robust oversight while supporting all efforts aimed at protecting South Africa’s livestock industry, safeguarding food security, preserving export markets and sustaining rural livelihoods.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
