By Lebogang Mashala

With the country still grappling with the ongoing situation regarding foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and its potential consequences, the recent government announcement to order more than 900 000 doses of the FMD vaccine offers a glimmer of hope. This urgent measure aims to contain the outbreak affecting KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Gauteng.

The Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, announced the emergency procurement during a media briefing in Cape Town yesterday, following a Cabinet meeting the day before. While many of us welcome the government’s commitment as part of efforts to curb the spread of this devastating livestock disease, it raises a critical question: Why do we continue to react instead of taking proactive measures?

South Africa has faced regular outbreaks of FMD in recent years, yet we are still shocked by each significant occurrence. Why have we not addressed this issue more effectively? Foot-and-mouth disease poses not only a veterinary challenge but also a crisis for the economic survival of rural communities. The time for denial and inaction is over. The country deserves decisive leadership that is honest, responsive and fully committed to protecting our farmers.

Over the past year, livestock farmers across the country have been left in the dark, enduring prolonged auction bans, limited veterinary support and widespread uncertainty. According to data from the national Department of Agriculture, South Africa has experienced more than 150 FMD outbreaks since 2022, with KwaZulu-Natal among the most heavily affected regions. The red meat industry has suffered losses exceeding R4 billion annually due to movement restrictions and export bans – losses that disproportionately impact small-scale and emerging farmers in rural areas.

We are all aware of where the problem lies. Despite established containment efforts, the ongoing spread of disease is largely due to uncontrolled livestock movements, particularly from red-line areas across the country. The economic impact is severe and far-reaching, affecting all sectors of the livestock value chain and threatening the viability of both commercial and emerging farming operations.

Why haven’t we developed a plan for farmers in those red-line areas? The red-line zones are clearly defined geographical areas in South Africa where FMD is endemic due to the presence of FMD-carrier buffalo. Farmers in these areas have no choice but to sell their animals at lower prices, prompting them to relocate their livestock to areas where they can fetch a better price. This is one of the reasons we are seeing increased animal movement from these zones. This situation is exacerbated by another pandemic within the livestock industry: stock theft.

Why can’t we devise a genuine, sustainable plan, such as creating markets for these farmers? One potential solution could be to build abattoirs in these areas, allowing farmers to sell their animals at market-related prices. This may significantly reduce the movement of live animals.

As South Africans, I believe we are not sufficiently outraged by the lack of accountability within the government. We are set to purchase close to a million doses of vaccine from neighbouring countries, while half a billion rand allocated for building a local vaccine production facility has seemingly vanished, and no one is facing consequences for this. Not a single brick has been laid, and millions of rand have been lost that could have been avoided – this is absolutely outrageous! It seems business as usual at Onderstepoort Biological Products, while the country endures significant financial losses.

I reflect on the communal lands where most of the livestock is located and wonder about the plan moving forward. In the North West, where I come from, we have unfortunately dismantled many of the positive aspects the former homeland government of Bophuthatswana established over the past 30 years. Biosecurity was a top priority for that government, which successfully set up dipping tanks in most, if not all, villages to address biosecurity issues. Government extension officers would visit these villages quarterly to dip and vaccinate all cattle and this system proved effective. Unfortunately, all of that has now been lost.

Nonetheless, we are here now and we must do whatever we can to help address the problem. Various experts have offered advice on how to contain the issue, and some of their recommendations are outlined in the articles below:

Let’s all work together to win this battle.