Amid struggles to contain ongoing outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease elsewhere in the country, the probable outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in the Bredasdorp area is drawing renewed attention to the countrywide impact that stray animals from informal farmers have on the spread of animal diseases.
By Michelle van der Spuy, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
Stray pigs belonging to informal farmers that are not fed properly and therefore roam in search of food can be found in various parts of the Overberg, says Simon Goble of Khula Farms near Swellendam, who raises pigs on pasture.
“It is a huge problem, and it was really only a matter of time before it led to this situation,” says Francois Joubert, managing director at Overberg Agri. “The community is disheartened. We are not sure what the solution will be, given that many discussions have already taken place and no agreement has ever been reached.”
The Cape Agulhas Municipality stated in a public alert last week that it was investigating a suspected outbreak of ASF among pigs belonging to informal farmers in the informal settlement of Bredasdorp. Pig carcasses were first noticed on 30 July in and around a kraal next to this settlement, according to a municipal report. The report noted that 164 pigs likely died of the disease between 30 July and 6 August. With an average of 21 pigs dying each day, the remaining herd of 547 could be wiped out by 1 September.
The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) confirmed to African Farming that a varying number of pigs are being culled each day, depending on available manpower.
The carcasses are being disposed of at the town’s municipal landfill. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning and State Veterinary Service have authorised this method, as the situation is considered an emergency.
Carcasses are removed from the camp daily, with representatives from the Animal Anti-Cruelty League Bredasdorp, the NSPCA and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services on site to monitor the situation.
The NSPCA has reported finding several malnourished pigs in the camp. According to their report, the owners of these pigs refuse to speak to NSPCA officials, and tensions are rising, prompting a call for measures to protect representatives and officials working at the site.
How ASF Moved from the North to All Nine Provinces
Until 2016, South Africa managed to confine ASF to the disease control zone, which covers most of Limpopo, the northern parts of North West, and the north-eastern regions of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. By 2022, however, ASF had spread to all nine provinces.
According to the Department of Agriculture, 325 cases of the disease were reported countrywide from April 2019 to March 2025, excluding those in the control zone. Most cases were recorded in Gauteng (109), followed by the Western Cape (60), Eastern Cape (52) and Free State (49).
Biosecurity at Risk as Livestock Roam Free
ASF poses no risk to human health but is highly contagious among pigs. Even if the meat of an infected pig is frozen for a long time, the virus can survive. If this meat is later thawed and raw cuts end up on a garbage dump, pigs scavenging for food there can become infected.
According to Dr Livio Heath of the Agricultural Research Council, changes in the local pig industry are creating significant and lasting risk factors due to socio-economic conditions.
He says the biggest challenge is that informal and subsistence farmers often use an extensive production system in which pigs roam freely, especially on the outskirts of urban areas. “Very few of our existing control strategies make provision for such scenarios, making it difficult to identify and contain outbreaks.”
It is common to see pigs, goats, sheep and cattle roaming along public roads or foraging on garbage dumps. Countrywide, informal farmers’ animals searching for food contribute to the spread of multiple livestock diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease and brucellosis.
The problem is particularly concerning at present as the authorities struggle to contain ongoing outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, while many informal farmers continue to disregard biosecurity measures.
