The Dollvet vaccine from Turkey. (Photo: Dunevax)
The DA has criticized Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, the Gauteng MEC for agriculture and rural development, over what the party describes as conflicting messages about the shortage of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine in the province.
According to the DA, Ramokgopa’s statements create further confusion among farmers while the outbreak is already affecting the livelihoods of hundreds of producers.
In response to a DA question in the Gauteng provincial legislature, Ramokgopa apparently admitted that the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is ill-equipped to manage the outbreak.
According to the DA, the department does not have a tracking and tracing system for animals, has no command center and relies on internal reports and a fortnightly joint operational committee to manage the situation.
However, the DA questions how the province can at the same time maintain that the response is “coordinated”.
“How can the department effectively manage such a fast-moving disease outbreak without a tracking system, a central command structure, daily situation reports and public operational data?” asked the party.
The DA says the MEC claims there is “visible law enforcement”, but Bronwynn Engelbrecht, the DA’s spokesperson for agriculture and rural development in Gauteng, says the department has confirmed that roadblocks only occur sporadically and monthly, that actions are reactive and that there is no daily or weekly enforcement data.
According to Engelbrecht, this causes serious concern as illegal movement of livestock has been identified as the source of the outbreak.
The party says Ramokgopa also argues that municipalities are “empowered” to act by bylaws, but that there is no visible enforcement in Gauteng and no consistent control over roaming livestock is applied.
(Photo: Provided)
“If mayors are empowered, why are they absent?” Engelbrecht asked.
According to the party, the biggest source of concern is the handling of vaccine doses.
Engelbrecht says that of the 393,140 doses of vaccine that were received, only 184,036 were used to vaccinate animals. According to the party, this leaves 209,104 doses that are not accounted for in national data.
Instead of providing clarity, the MEC apparently dismissed the figures as “hearsay” and argued that the provincial data was “more recent”.
The DA says it stands “in solidarity with farmers” and will submit further questions in the legislature to determine where the doses are.
“Was it delivered, was it administered, or is it lying unused while the virus spreads? If so, why wasn’t it administered?” Engelbrecht asked
The DA believes the MEC should stop sending out “mixed messages” and instead provide clarity, coordination and control.
“Until then, Gauteng’s BKS response will remain a communication exercise rather than a containment strategy,” Engelbrecht said.