Outrage over Agriculture department’s leaked FMD e-mail

Minster of Agriculture John Steenhuisen. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen The farming community is up in arms after seeing leaked e-mails of a response from Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen’s chief of staff to a request for engagement on South Africa’s foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination strategy by a private-sector group. WhileSteenhuisenapologised for the e-mail and said it was in bad taste, many say his response lacks remorse and authenticity.

Others questioned how many other e-mails there have been in the same bad taste and questioned thedepartment’s response to FMD. Chief of staff Jana le Roux’s leaked e-mails, forwarded with the message, “attached just received for some amusement”, had many calling for her head. Steenhuisen reacted on his X account, saying: “The e-mail was in bad taste, and I have requested the person concerned to apologise to the respective parties.

We must continue to show mutual respect and always act in good faith. Because it is only through collaboration we can overcome major obstacles in the sector,” he said. This is how seriously Steenhuisen and team mean their assurances that ‘the door is always open to farmers’.

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A request from the farmer organisation FMDResponse SA to co-operate more closerly with the department – inadvertently copied back to the senders. Steenhuisen must…pic.twitter.com/gKLZ7ajSBq Freedom Front Plus agriculture spokesperson Wynand Boshoff has demanded an investigation into the e-mail written by the chief of staff. “On the face of it, the e-mail was sent to the director-general of agriculture Mooketsa Ramasodi and relevant deputy director-general Dipepeneneng Serage, with the remark: ‘Attached just received for some amusement.

If this e-mail is authentic, it confirms the general impression Minister Steenhuisen, his department are not taking the agricultural sector’s input regarding the crisis seriously. It demonstrates deep-rooted and reprehensible contempt,” Boshoff said. I note an email originating from a ministry staff member.The email was in bad taste and I have requested the person concerned to apologise to the respective parties.We must continue to show mutual respect and always act in good faith.Because it is only through… He added the party demanded a probe into the e-mail and, if found to be true, that action would be taken against the official in question.

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