Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Bronwynn Engelbrecht MPL.
As Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) continues to spread across Gauteng, farmers are losing their livestock, which is affecting food security. The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, to empower provincial mayors to establish local FMD command structures aligned with provincial efforts.
Local Government should actively support roadblocks and livestock movement enforcement, ensure municipal property is monitored and controlled, engage directly with farmers and affected communities and participate in a coordinated, province-wide response strategy.
While farmers face uncertainty, rising losses, and mounting pressure, those entrusted with local governance are not adequately empowered and involved in containing FMD, which is deeply concerning.
In stark contrast, District Mayors in the DA-led Western Cape are playing a central and decisive role in combating FMD. Clear strategies have been rolled out to monitor and regulate livestock movement. Mayors are working alongside law enforcement to enforce biosecurity measures and also participating in joint operational command structures such as the war room established by the Western Cape Government. As part of the Premier’s Coordinating Forum Western Cape local government leaders can provide continuous feedback across all spheres of government and engage directly with farmers and communities to raise awareness. This coordinated approach ensures that no level of government operates in isolation and that accountability is maintained at every level.
Unfortunately for Gauteng residents and farmers, there is no evidence of local government coordinating livestock movement control, no visible municipal enforcement of biosecurity measures, no structured local government participation in a joint command centre and no consistent communication with affected farming communities.
This is alarming given that communal and peri-urban grazing areas account for a significant portion of outbreaks, placing direct responsibility on municipalities to act.
Municipalities are not bystanders in this crisis. Under the Animal Diseases Act, they have a clear duty to prevent the spread of controlled diseases, particularly on municipal land and communal land. As Premier Lesufi’s lack of direction and leadership, Gauteng’s mayors have not been able to exercise oversight, reinforce compliance, nor take visible responsibility for protecting local agricultural systems.
Without active involvement of municipalities, Gauteng’s response remains disjointed, reactive, and ineffective. This undermines enforcement, weakens communication, and allows the disease to continue spreading unchecked.
The DA-led Western Cape has demonstrated that a coordinated approach is essential in fighting the spread of FMD. Gauteng must learn from the Western Cape to end this crisis.
At a time when farmers are fighting to protect their livelihoods, and consumers face rising food insecurity, the cooperation between all spheres of government is not optional but essential.