Indaba results in action plan to curb escalating FMD in KZN

THE escalating rate of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) infections in KwaZulu-Natal, possibly due to the illicit movement of cloven-hoofed animals, prompted the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, to host a two-day indaba in Durban last week.

In a social media update posted on 4 November, the department said despite stringent measures in place to curb the movement of livestock outside the Disease Management Area (DMA) without a properly sought permit, the issue persists. KaMadlopha-Mthethwa addressed hundreds of delegates at the consultative indaba which aimed to explore solutions to tackle FMD in the province and the country at large. Delegates from across the country and as far afield as Botswana attended the event at Coastlands Hotel, uMhlanga in Durban.

The disease is not limited to KwaZulu-Natal, as Gauteng, North West, Free State, and Mpumalanga are also grappling with the disease, although not as severely as in KwaZulu-Natal, which has 180 unresolved FMD outbreaks. As of October 2025, there are 274 unresolved outbreaks across these provinces. Due to the ongoing spread of the disease, the KZN DMA was expanded again in 2025, but outbreaks caused by the 2021 KZN SAT2 FMD virus continued to occur within and outside the boundaries of the DMA, according to the department.

KaMadlopha-Mthethwa said efforts are being made to enhance vaccination coverage pending vaccine availability, “Since mid-2025, there has been an increase in virus detections on farms and in feedlots outside the DMA in KZN, likely disseminated by auction and speculator sales of illegally moved animals combined with non-adherence to the 2022 legally prescribed 28-day isolation of animals post-movement and insufficient biosecurity.”

Delegates reiterated the need for vaccinations to run parallel with animal movement control measures, saying that these two complement one another. They have also urged the government to facilitate regular auctions, saying that a lack of market access pushes communal farmers to conduct illegal movement of their livestock, thereby contravening the DMA’s animal movement rules and restrictions.

In the post-event update, the department said the consultative indaba resolved the following:

 Alarmed by the recent escalation of FMD cases springing up across the province the Indaba calls upon the state and all livestock industry stake holders to find solutions that will end the current FMD outbreak.

Noting that KwaZulu Natal is facing a serious risk to the livestock industry and job security, the Indaba:

1. Encourages farmers, speculators, auctioneers, and citizens to adhere to livestock movement restrictions and utilise movement permits when moving animals from the disease management area.
2. Urges the Agricultural Research Council – Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ARC-OVI) to deposit FMD virus sequencing data in the gene bank.
3. Calls upon the ARC-OVI to share circulating vaccine strains with vaccine manufacturers.
4. Expedite efforts to authorise Allerton Provincial Veterinary Laboratory as a second FMD diagnostic laboratory.
5. Calls upon the state to urgently provide adequate FMD vaccine and ensure prophylactic vaccination of livestock in the province.
6. Urges the state to develop a protocol for market access to farmers, especially previously disadvantaged farmers in the DMA.
7. Calls for tightened biosecurity on farms and properties rearing livestock and at auctions.
8. Recommends follow-up studies on FMD research in KwaZulu-Natal to assess socio-economic impact.
9. Endorses the creation of a provincial FMD vaccine bank.
10. Calls for the resuscitation of the provincial Joint Operational Committee.
11. Urges the halt of illegal slaughtering of vaccinated or positive cattle at non-FMD designated abattoirs.
12. Urges stakeholders and farmers to report positive cases and the state to frequently share locations of positive cases.
13. Calls for strengthened collaboration between industry and government.

KaMadlopha-Mthethwa expressed hope that the conference would yield long-lasting solutions, given the commitment from stakeholders, to eradicate industry challenges and achieve FMD-free zonal status. “The aim is to adopt new approaches aligned with the World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH), enabling the province to gradually achieve FMD-free zonal status. However, I must caution that this process requires years of cooperation from all stakeholders.”