Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen says the state will retain control of the procurement, distribution and oversight of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines.
This is despite mounting pressure from parts of the farming industry who are at odds with this policy, arguing it is inefficient and pricey.
The minister’s handling of the disease and vaccinations to remedy it has been mentioned as one of the reasons he lost the confidence of the farming lobby in his party, the DA.
Steenhuisen, the DA leader, on Wednesday said he will not seek re-election and wants to focus mainly on his cabinet portfolio and the disease.
Briefing parliament’s portfolio committee on agriculture, Steenhuisen said foot-and-mouth disease cannot not be treated like an ordinary animal health challenge.
It is a state-controlled disease under the Animal Diseases Act and South Africa’s obligations to international animal health rules mean vaccinations must be tightly regulated.
Allowing farmers or private groups to import or administer vaccines independently, the minister warned, would risk masking infections, undermining surveillance systems and introducing virus strains not present in the country.
Listen: PODCAST: Steenhuisen is just following the vaccine rules
Steenhuisen told MPs that South Africa has spent years trapped in a reactive cycle, responding to outbreaks as they arise without ever suppressing the virus nationally.
That approach, he said, has failed. On the advice of scientists, the government has now opted for a vaccination-led strategy aimed not only at containing the present outbreak but also at rebuilding the country’s disease status over time.
“Never again,” Steenhuisen said, should South Africa be dependent on a single vaccine supplier or ad hoc crisis management.
The minister confirmed that the department has procured the largest number of vaccines yet with more than 2-million doses secured through international suppliers, while additional sources are being lined up to diversify supply.
Movement controls, surveillance and enforcement
Vaccination however, will not be a silver bullet. Movement controls, surveillance and enforcement remain central.
Steenhuisen said non-compliance, particularly the illegal movement of animals, has been one of the biggest drivers of the disease’s spread.
The formal departmental update to the committee underscored how far the outbreak has progressed and how ambitious the state’s new plan is.
South Africa lost its foot-and-mouth disease-free status in 2019, and the present outbreak, which began spreading beyond controlled zones in 2021, now involves multiple virus serotypes across most of the country. Eight provinces have reported infections, with only the Northern Cape remaining unaffected.
Officials told MPs that South Africa can no longer manage the outbreak without vaccination.
Instead, the department has adopted a phased, risk-based strategy that accepts vaccination as unavoidable in the short to medium term.
The immediate goal is to interrupt virus transmission and significantly reduce outbreaks within two to three years. Thereafter, the government plans to establish certified zones that are disease-free with vaccination, before eventually applying, over the longer term, for recognition without vaccination.
Under the strategy presented to the committee, high-risk provinces and production systems will be prioritised. Feedlots, large commercial dairy herds, export-orientated operations and communal grazing areas in high-movement zones are all targeted for intensive vaccination, with coverage thresholds of up to 100% in some sectors.
Vaccination will be combined with post-vaccination monitoring, expanded laboratory diagnostics and tighter movement controls, including digital permits and stricter oversight of auctions and transport routes.
The update also revealed the extent of institutional rebuilding now under way. The government plans to strengthen diagnostic capacity, expand surveillance using non-structural protein testing and review legislation to give the state clearer emergency powers during animal health crises. Proposals include changes to animal identification rules and faster mechanisms for emergency vaccine approval and procurement.
Locally produced vaccine
Alongside the parliamentary briefing, the government has pointed to the rollout of South Africa’s first locally produced vaccine by the Agricultural Research Council as evidence that long-neglected capacity is beginning to recover.
Initial production volumes are limited, but officials argue that local manufacturing is critical to long-term biosecurity and supply resilience.
For many farmers however, the fault line remains unresolved. Industry bodies argue that state control has translated into delays while outbreaks continue to devastate livelihoods.
Steenhuisen rejected that criticism, insisting that poorly regulated vaccination would cause more harm than good and could permanently shut South Africa out of export markets.
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