DA demands acceleration of foot and mouth disease vaccines in Gauteng

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has accused the Department of Agriculture in the province of a slow rollout of foot and mouth disease vaccines.

The DA said that while nearly 300,000 vaccines have been allocated to the province, only 133,000 have been administered.

This comes as government faces intense criticism for its handling of the disease that has decimated the cattle industry in particular.

The DA said more livestock are at risk of being infected and euthanised if they do not receive vaccination urgently at a huge cost to farmers.

Foot and mouth disease has wreaked havoc across provinces, with national government now facing court action over its refusal to allow private vaccination by farmers.

Just last week, DA member and minister responsible for the Department of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, published a draft vaccination scheme for public comment after he was compelled by the Pretoria High Court.

The scheme gives farmers what they want to be able to procure vaccines and vaccinate animals without waiting for the government, but abiding by strict regulations.

Something government has been opposed to despite its challenges with acquiring vaccines and an inadequate number of state veterinarians to do the work.

KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng have been among the worst affected by the outbreak that affects cloven-hoofed animals, especially cattle.

While the vaccines do not assist with the current outbreak, government said they will help protect against future outbreaks.

The DA in Gauteng said of the nearly 300,000 vaccines given to the province, more than 150,000 are unaccounted for.

It said it intends to implement a live dashboard to update farmers and the public on the rollout.

Meanwhile, Steenhuisen is due in court in the coming days to give an update on compliance with the Pretoria High Court order.

ALSO READ: Steenhuisen claims early success in vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease

Foot and mouth disease outbreaks rise despite mass vaccination drive