Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in English by DA MPL, Bronwynn Engelbrecht here and Afrikaans here.
The Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s slow rollout of allocated vaccines for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) puts livestock at risk. This creates uncertainty among farmers on whether their livestock will be vaccinated.
Gauteng received 284 720 vaccines doses, and only 133 004 vaccines have been used as of 26 March 2026. Furthermore, there are currently 241 active FMD cases in the province.
This information was revealed in a recent presentation to the National Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen. In addition, we do not know what has happened to the 151,716 doses.
Livestock that do not receive the vaccination are at risk of contracting FMD, and ultimately, the farmer will be forced to euthanise the affected animals. In addition, Gauteng received a higher number of vaccine doses due to the risk-based approach used. This approach determined that animals in the province are more susceptible to contracting FMD.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) urges the Gauteng MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Vuyiswa Ramakogopa, to implement a live dashboard similar to the Western Cape, so that farmers and the public can track the rollout of vaccinations and new cases reported weekly. We have also submitted questions to the MEC to ascertain what happened to 151 716 doses that have not been accounted for.
A DA-led provincial government would immediately implement a live dashboard to update farmers and the public on the rollout of vaccines and FMD-reported weekly cases. Gauteng deserves to know the extent of the crisis and the measures that the government is taking to protect livestock and food security.