DA leader John Steenhuisen. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is not a new challenge in South Africa; many politicians who have led the Department of Agriculture could not solve it, but having it declared as a national disaster has changed everything. Now all eyes are on Minister John Steenhuisen to see how he will weather this storm.
Like many other politicians, if he cannot curb the spread of the disease, it is unlikely anything will happen to him or his career. However, he would score some brownie points if he achieved an FMD-free status. FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.
Should nothing effective be done, the virus would have a devastating impact on the country’s economy and the livelihood of farmers. Steenhuisen recently outlined a strategy to eliminate the disease in the country; however, he saidit will take more than 10 years. The strategy includes beginning with stabilisation and consolidation, before moving toward the eventual withdrawal of vaccinations and final recognition of national freedom through vaccination by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
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The country is divided over the strategy; some have faith in it because the private sector is included, while others question its efficiency. Will this strategy make or break Steenhuisen’s career? Political analyst Kenneth Kgwadi toldThe Citizenhe believes the strategy is actionable and doable.
“I like that they have included crème de la crème from both the public and private sector to provide the technical know-how on the ground and ensure that they achieve FMD-free status in the coming 10 years,” he said. “It is highly commendable that the minister places a lot of emphasis on running vaccinations, especially in communal zones,” he said, adding that if implemented, it will help curb the spread of the virus. Kgwadi added that a lot of work still needs to be done for the strategy to yield results.
“A lot needs to be done as per the strategy, such as monitoring and tracing the movements of animals.” He said he has faith that something different will happen this time. “We have had this crisis since 2021, and there was absolutely no sense of urgency on the side of government. “Having a strategy in place is a sign that there are intentions to change the situation on the ground. It is now up to members of the task team to ensure that what is on paper is indeed implemented.”
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