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The Citizen

Calls for foot and mouth action plan in KZN

The DA in KZN has lambasted Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa for allegedly failing to address foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the province. DA KZN Spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Development Sakhile Mngadi accused the MEC of failing to provide transparent updates on the number of FMD cases, and to roll out a clear, science-based containment and vaccination plan. ALSO READ: Grave concerns over foot-and-mouth spread in KZN 'She also failed to restore full veterinary service coverage in high-risk districts and communicate proactively with farmers, industry bodies and the public. This clear lack of leadership in the province has left farmers vulnerable, undermined disease control efforts, and eroded confidence in the department's ability to safeguard one of our province's most critical economic sectors,' said Mngadi. He urged kaMadlopha-Mthethwa to immediately collaborate with national authorities to ensure the efficient roll out of the 200 000 vaccines and publish up-to-date and accurate data on outbreak areas and vaccination coverage. 'The MEC must establish district-level task teams involving veterinary experts, farmer associations and local authorities, and launch a weekly public briefing system to provide transparency and restore trust,' he said. 'FMD is not only a veterinary challenge, it is a crisis of economic survival for rural communities. The time for denial and inaction is over. KZN deserves a provincial department that is honest, responsive, and fully committed to protecting our farmers. 'Over the past year, livestock farmers across KZN have been left in the dark, facing prolonged auction bans, limited veterinary support and widespread uncertainty. Districts such as uMkhanyakude, Zululand and King Cetshwayo have borne the brunt of these outbreaks, with no consistent communication or support from the provincial department,' said Mngadi. Action plan kaMadlopha-Mthethwa said the seriousness and the socio-economic impact of FMD on the entire agricultural sector, particularly the vulnerable rural communities, should not be used for cheap political scoring. 'The plight of our farmers is real and I have worked tirelessly with the minister to effectively roll out an intervention programme, which is gradually showing positive results. 'The threat of infection is still real but the evidence in KZN is demonstrating signs of a successful intervention by all role players,' said the MEC. 'As my colleague in the provincial legislature, Mngadi should have addressed concerns regarding the province's FMD containment measures directly with me or the provincial department. Instead, he conveniently chose to ignore established communication channels and contacted the national department, seemingly for his nefarious reasons,' she said. ALSO READ: Foot-and-Mouth case confirmed near Empangeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa further explained that the department's veterinary services are working to contain the outbreak by using all available resources to strictly control the movement of cloven-hoofed animals. Farms, pastures, feedlots and dip tanks that tested positive for FMD have been placed under quarantine and are being observed, with notable successes in Jozini, where no animals have tested positive for the disease. 'Since the outbreak in 2021, the department's veterinary services embarked on an intensive intervention programme and have vaccinated a total of 616 374 cattle to date,' she said. The MEC said a team from her department remains dedicated and working against all odds in their efforts to contain FMD. 'On account of these interventions, although not exhaustive, we urge all responsible leaders, especially those claiming to be serving the best interest of the farming communities, to act responsibly at all times with issues that can easily arouse emotions of those directly affected. 'The additional vaccine procured will assist, but vaccination is not the panacea for FMD in our province. There is a need for all stakeholders to co-operate with authorities in ensuring strict adherence to movement control protocols and ensure herd isolation, among other measures,' she said. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!