The Democratic Alliance in Limpopo welcomes Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen’s visit to Limpopo today, Monday 16 March 2026, where he will lead the fourth nationwide mass vaccination rollout campaign against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) together with Limpopo MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Nakedi Kekana.
This follows the arrival of 1 million high-potency vaccine doses from Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina, in addition to the 1.5 million doses delivered over the past two weeks. Millions more doses of FMD vaccines will be delivered in the coming weeks to strengthen the fight against FMD.
FMD vaccine procurement and allocations are managed at national level, with vaccination efforts being strategically phased, starting in the highest-risk areas.
The control of FMD operates within a nationally coordinated framework following its classification as a national disaster, with the province playing a critical role in operating in alignment with national directives.
We welcome the ongoing consultation, cooperation and coordination between the provincial department, other organs of government, organised agriculture and industry stakeholders in the province. We further welcome the recognition of private veterinarians as important partners in supporting vaccination activities.
This collaboration appears to be paying dividends, as the spread of FMD does not appear to be as rapid as in other provinces. As the DA in Limpopo, we believe that whole-of-society collaboration is essential if we are to contain the spread of FMD pending vaccination.
The illegal movement of livestock remains one of the primary drivers of the outbreak. We call on the Department to ensure that the movement control protocol and permitting system is adequately policed. We further welcome the Department’s decision to partner with private service providers to implement a digital permit system.
As the DA, we share the deep concern and pain of the province’s agricultural sector over the devastating impact FMD is having on farmers and the wider agricultural economy. We urge the provincial department to ensure that Limpopo receives an adequate allocation of vaccines as they become available.
We call on the Department, along with other government agencies, the farming sector and community stakeholders, to continue to work collaboratively and to accelerate the fight against FMD in the province. The eradication of FMD requires all stakeholders to play their role.