10/01/2026
The Animals Disease Act, 1984 (Act No. 35 of 1984) places a responsibility on the State to control, prevent and manage controlled animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, in order to protect animal health, livelihoods and food security.
We therefore respectfully ask:
Steenhuisen.
Cyril.
Maja.
Modisane.
What immediate steps are being taken to implement effective vaccination programmes against Foot and Mouth Disease?
And if State-led vaccination is not currently possible, when will farmers be permitted to take responsible, regulated action to protect their own herds and businesses?
Across farming communities, animals are suffering and dying. Farmers are being forced to watch healthy herds deteriorate day by day, unable to intervene. Milk production is collapsing, costs are escalating, and businesses that sustain entire communities are under severe threat.
With every farm that goes under, jobs are lost. Families lose their income. Rural communities are pushed closer to the edge. This crisis is not only about animals — it is about people, dignity, and the ability to keep producing food for the country.
If existing legislation no longer allows for timely, effective disease control in a crisis of this scale, then it may be time to ask whether updates are needed.
Legislation should empower those closest to the animals to act responsibly to protect welfare, livelihoods and food security.
This is not a call for conflict.
It is a plea for urgency, leadership and cooperation.
The Animals Disease Act exists to guide action during times like this. Farmers are willing and ready to work within the law, alongside authorities, to stop further suffering and prevent irreversible damage.
We urgently ask for action, guidance and a clear path forward — for the sake of our animals, our workers, and the future of agriculture in South Africa..
