KaMadlopha Mthethwa leads frontline fight against FMD in Harry Gwala

KwaZulu-Natal’s battle to contain the spread of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) intensified this week as the provincial government ramped up its mass vaccination campaign across the Harry Gwala District. The vaccination drive, which forms part of the province’s emergency response plan, is progressing according to schedule, with thousands of cattle already immunised. The department confirmed that 54 846 cattle — including about 5 000 commercial animals — have already been vaccinated in the Ugu District, using vaccines manufactured by BioGenesis Bago in Argentina.

Following the Provincial Budget Sitting in Pietermaritzburg, kaMadlopha-Mthethwa travelled to rural areas of the Johannes Phumani Phungula Local Municipality, where she visited the Ndwebu dip tank at Nhlangwini near Highflats and joined veterinary teams on the ground. “Our mass vaccination strategy is progressing according to plan, with everything falling into place,” said kaMadlopha-Mthethwa. She said additional vaccines from Türkiye-based manufacturer Dollvet had recently arrived in Gauteng and would soon be deployed in KwaZulu-Natal.

“These vaccines will be used primarily in the northern parts of the province where Foot-and-Mouth Disease SAT 1, SAT 2 and SAT 3 strains are present. As a department, we have decided to procure vaccines from the second batch that arrived in Gauteng, and they should reach the province before the end of this week,” she said. The department is prioritising the vaccination of commercial dairy and beef cattle in the Harry Gwala District while preparing to expand the programme to communal livestock. KaMadlopha Mthethwa saysabout 170 000 communal cattleto be brought by farmers to210 dip tanks across the districtas the campaign gathers momentum.