South Africa: FMD Government Response Failure Devastates Farmers

• A severe Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in South Africa has been exacerbated by the state's inability to quarantine infected herds and its initial refusal to vaccinate affected cattle.
• Dairy farmer Richard de Bufanos experienced the rapid spread of FMD across all six of his farms after the Department of Agriculture blocked his attempts to purchase and administer vaccines independently.
• The FMD crisis reveals a long-standing breakdown in South Africa's agricultural disease management systems, including failures in established protocols for prevention and containment.
• Farmers expressed widespread disappointment with the government's response, specifically citing John Steenhuisen's role in preventing private vaccine purchases.
• The highly contagious nature of FMD, combined with systemic government negligence, has led to significant livestock losses and farmer frustration across the country.

The government's actions, or lack thereof, have been widely interpreted as cattle epidemic government negligence, leaving farmers vulnerable to devastating financial losses.

A severe outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) has highlighted critical failures in South Africa's agricultural disease management, leading to widespread farmer frustration and significant livestock losses. Richard de Bufanos, a dairy farmer operating near Zonkizizwe township, south-east of Johannesburg, experienced this firsthand when a state veterinarian informed him in May 2025 that FMD had been detected in a neighboring informal farmer's cattle. Despite regulations requiring quarantine for infected herds, the state lacked the necessary resources to feed the animals, rendering isolation impossible. Furthermore, the Department of Agriculture initially declined to vaccinate de Bufanos's own herd.

De Bufanos had already implemented preventative measures, including a two-meter trench around his farm and strict prohibitions on cattle entry. However, the highly contagious nature of FMD makes containment extremely challenging; the virus can spread via various vectors such as mongooses, workers, vehicle tires, and even potentially through fog or birds. The disease has an incubation period of two to fourteen days in cloven-hoofed animals, meaning de Bufanos's herd may have been exposed before the initial notification. Indeed, on May 26, the first cow on his farm exhibited symptoms, and within four days, 180 animals were infected. The state finally vaccinated his herd on May 30, but by then, the intervention was largely ineffective.

The farmer's ordeal continued as he sought to protect his other farms in Gauteng and the Free State. His requests for state vaccination for these additional herds were denied. Crucially, when he offered to purchase vaccines himself and administer them, this too was prohibited. The consequences were swift and severe: on June 3, his second farm became infected, followed by the third on June 6. Although the department vaccinated the second farm on June 9, the pattern of infection and delayed response persisted until all six of de Bufanos's farms were impacted. He expressed deep exasperation, stating that authorities not only failed to assist but also actively prevented farmers from helping themselves.

The current FMD crisis underscores a long-standing breakdown in South Africa's agricultural disease management systems, which farmers attribute to years of neglect under ANC governance. The established protocol for FMD prevention, particularly in areas bordering the Kruger National Park, was designed to mitigate outbreaks originating from buffaloes, which are FMD carriers but rarely suffer severe illness. Informal cattle farmers in this protection zone are meant to bring their herds weekly to state-managed dip tanks for de-ticking and health checks, including FMD screening. This system is intended to be a community event, ensuring animal health and early detection.

Upon detection of FMD, the protocol mandates immediate quarantine of the affected herd, collection of blood samples for testing at the Agricultural Research Council in Onderstepoort, and subsequent vaccination of the infected and nearby herds. Additionally, samples from infected animals are supposed to be sent to The Pirbright Institute in the UK, the global reference laboratory for FMD, to aid vaccine manufacturers in updating their products. However, the recent events, such as the inability to quarantine an infected herd due to a lack of state capacity to provide feed, demonstrate a profound disconnect between these established procedures and their practical implementation. This systemic failure has allowed the cattle epidemic to spread unchecked, highlighting significant government negligence in upholding its responsibilities for ZA agricultural disease management.

The FMD outbreak and the perceived South Africa FMD government response failure have drawn sharp criticism from the agricultural community, particularly regarding restrictions on private sector involvement. Farmers voiced widespread disappointment with the approach taken by John Steenhuisen, who, as the then-head of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the minister responsible for agriculture, reportedly blocked farmers from procuring their own FMD vaccines. This stance is particularly notable given the DA's public advocacy for public-private partnerships, creating a perceived contradiction between policy and action during a critical cattle epidemic.

The inability of the Department of Agriculture FMD ZA to effectively contain the disease, coupled with its prohibition on farmers taking independent action, has exacerbated the crisis. The government's actions, or lack thereof, have been widely interpreted as cattle epidemic government negligence, leaving farmers vulnerable to devastating financial losses. The ongoing situation underscores the urgent need for a re-evaluation of national disease control strategies and a more collaborative approach that empowers farmers to protect their livelihoods when state capacity is demonstrably insufficient.

Lawyers advising agricultural clients in South Africa should note the potential for claims against the Department of Agriculture due to alleged negligence in managing the FMD outbreak and restricting private vaccination efforts. Compliance officers must re-evaluate risk management strategies for disease control, considering the state's systemic failures.

Source: Original reporting via The Broken System Behind Our Worst Cattle Epidemic