Urgent call for disaster declaration as Foot-and-Mouth Disease escalates in KZN
MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa addressing the foot and mouth disease crisis that is currently affecting livestock and has caused financial constraints for the farmers in KZN.
Image: KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development / Facebook
The outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) should be declared a disaster in the province. The disease, the DA and the provincial government state, is beyond a crisis, and the national government must intervene.
DA spokesperson for Agriculture, Sakhile Mngadi, has formally written to MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Thembeni KaMadlopha-Mthethwa, and Premier Thami Ntuli, calling for the urgent declaration of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) as a provincial disaster.
“FMD is no longer a looming threat in KZN – it is an active and escalating emergency that is already causing serious harm to farmers, rural livelihoods, and food security across the province. The scale of the outbreak now requires decisive provincial intervention and the immediate activation of disaster management mechanisms,” he said.
Recent developments in Howick illustrate the pressure farmers are under. As FMD cases surged in the Midlands, farmers erected makeshift disinfection points on the Karkloof Road in an effort to protect their herds. These measures were halted due to a lack of formal authorisation, highlighting a growing gap between the severity of the outbreak and the province’s current response capacity.
“FMD is a state-controlled disease. When farmers are left to act independently to safeguard their livelihoods, it is a clear indication that extraordinary measures are required. Infections are now being reported across several districts, threatening commercial, small-scale, and communal farmers alike, with serious consequences for jobs, food supply chains, and the agricultural economy.
“The Premier and MEC must act without delay to unlock emergency funding, fast-track operational responses, and restore confidence in the province’s ability to contain this outbreak. KZN cannot afford further delays,” he said.
MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, KaMadlopha-Mthethwa, stated that the department agreed with the sentiment expressed by the DA. “Once declared nationally, it will help our cause as that will enable the department to work with other stakeholders such as traditional leaders, disaster management, traffic officials (Road Traffic Inspectorate), and police, as this needs a multisectoral approach to tackle the illegal movement of animals,” she said.
The MEC noted that the continued movement of livestock despite containment measures is a societal challenge that the department is battling. “This is why I have instructed the department's Veterinary Services to remain vigilant and coordinate efforts for stricter control of livestock movement, especially in the Disease Management Areas declared by the National Department of Agriculture in mid-March this year.”
“The vaccine rollout programme will begin in early March. It will cover about 80 to 90 percent of the cattle population in KwaZulu-Natal, with communal cattle alone at 2.8 million,” the MEC concluded.