Worst foot-and-mouth outbreak in SA history now a ‘national crisis'

Not mincing his words, the top dog at AgriSA on Wednesday labelled the current foot-and-mouth disease outbreak a 'national crisis'.

Speaking on 702, Johan Kotze says the situation is worse than anything in the country's history.

His comments echo President Cyril Ramaphosa’s own and follow his announcement during his 2026 State of the Nation Address of the crisis as a national disaster.

"The intensity and spread of the disease is not the norm," says Kotze.

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Foot-and-mouth is a highly contagious viral infection that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.

Almost all provinces in South Africa have been affected, with the Western Cape Department of Agriculture now monitoring five confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth disease.

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A mass vaccination campaign is currently underway, with two million animals already having received the jab.

A million more are expected to arrive in the country by Saturday to meet the government’s target of inoculating 80% of the national herd by December.

Why weren't more animals vaccinated earlier in the outbreak?

"Because we choose to have vaccination-free zones, which for us is a big opportunity to export. And it didn't break in the free zones yet. You always try to go without the vaccinations because it's just a more open market now."

Kotze explains that the current outbreak's intensity means the vaccine rollout is crucial to protect the industry.

"Then you literally crawl yourself back into free zones where the animals are healthy," he says.

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing. How do you prepare yourself for something you haven't been in before?"

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