Cape Town’s law enforcement stretched by foot-and-mouth disease response

Cape Town law enforcement agencies assist with livestock inspections in Mfuleni and Kalksteenfontein as the city balances crime prevention with foot-and-mouth disease controls. Cape Town’s law enforcement agencies have been drawn into the response to suspected cases of foot-and-mouth disease in parts of the metro, adding to the demands on services already responsible for crime prevention, road safety and emergency response. The City of Cape Town confirmed that its enforcement agencies assisted provincial veterinary officials with livestock inspections and vaccinations in Mfuleni and Kalksteenfontein over the weekend, following suspected cases of the highly contagious animal disease.

Law Enforcement’s Animal Control Unit escorted officials from the Western Cape Agriculture Department into the affected areas on Saturday and Sunday, while Traffic and Metro Police officers assisted with roadblocks. The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre activated a Joint Operations Centre to monitor deployments. Officers are enforcing restrictions on the movement of livestock in and out of the affected communities, with the South African Police Service acting as the lead agency and municipal services playing a supporting role.

The disease-control operations coincided with an intensive enforcement week across the metro. City enforcement agencies issued 84 856 notices and arrested 392 people for various offences. Metro Police officers made 113 arrests and issued 3 192 notices, while Law Enforcement officers arrested 205 suspects and issued 14 428 notices.