Note to Broadcasters: Please find linked soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Jóhni Steenkamp MPL.
The DA calls on the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Russel Dial, to summon the MEC of Agriculture and Rural Development, Madoda Sambatha, before the committee to report on the plan and progress made in the fight against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the North West province.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the North West Provincial Legislature is concerned over the alarming delay and lack of preparedness demonstrated by MEC Sambatha and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in responding to the confirmed outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the province.
Despite the FMD outbreak being confirmed as early as 16 June 2025, the provincial Joint Operations Centre (JOC) only convened its first meeting on Monday, 23 June — more than a week later. This unacceptable delay in activating the JOC has put our province’s livestock industry at serious risk, undermined containment efforts, and exposed devastating gaps in provincial biosecurity protocols.
This is not just an administrative oversight; this is a failure of leadership.
Moreover, it has come to our attention through credible sources that farms placed under quarantine were allowed to move livestock without consequence, and shockingly, some were quarantined without the department first establishing how many animals were on-site. Clearly this Department cannot even perform the most basic functions of record-keeping and enforcement, let alone manage an outbreak.
The National Department of Agriculture, under Minister John Steenhuisen, has demonstrated urgency and decisive action in coordinating a national response, including the rollout of over 900,000 vaccine doses and tightening animal movement regulations. However, the North West MEC continues to fall short in matching that momentum at provincial level.
MEC Sambatha must be held accountable for the administrative chaos and complacency that have defined his department’s response to this outbreak. The farmers of North West deserve better.
The DA demands urgent action and will not sit back while provincial inaction jeopardises the livelihoods of farmers, the provincial economy, and our biosecurity standards.