Latest news with #Steenhuisen
The Citizen
a day ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Government gains momentum in tackling foot and mouth disease
Intensified efforts to control and eradicate foot and mouth disease (FMD) are paying off. This is according to Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, who, in a statement on Wednesday, said the process of procuring vaccines through Onderstepoort Biological Products has started, and the next batch of vaccines is expected to be delivered by mid-June. The disease management areas (DMAs) in the two provinces are soon to be lifted, and an urgent order has been placed for much-needed vaccines valued at R72m. 'This marks a crucial step forward in the department's vaccination strategy. The department has provisionally costed the vaccine requirements for the 2025/2026 financial year at R1.2b, with each vaccine estimated at R100 per dose,' Steenhuisen said. Recognising the seriousness of the FMD threat, the minister said he escalated control efforts to the deputy director-general (DGG) for agricultural production, biosecurity and natural resources management, Dipepeneneng Serage, earlier this month. 'The office of the DDG has already engaged with veterinary services and various industry representatives to detail the actions required to curb the threat.' The minister highlighted that the lifting of the current DMAs in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo is imminent. In the Eastern Cape, disease management areas covering the Kouga and Kou-Kamma Municipalities have been in place since July 26, 2024. Through a robust vaccination campaign, 144 424 vaccinations were successfully administered, and the last confirmed FMD case was reported in September 2024. He added that extensive serological surveillance has found no further signs of infection. Steenhuisen confirmed that the movement restrictions in the Eastern Cape DMA will be lifted soon. Similar success has been reported in the Vhembe District in Limpopo, where a DMA was declared in September 2022 to control an FMD outbreak in dip tanks in the Vhembe Municipality. Two rounds of vaccination saw 23 024 vaccinations administered to cattle across 34 dip tanks, proving highly effective in bringing the outbreak under control. 'These positive developments highlight the effectiveness of our collaborative control measures, and the dedication of all stakeholders involved. The department remains vigilant and committed to implementing proactive strategies to safeguard animal health and the agricultural sector,' said the minister. KZN The minister reported that the DMA in KZN remains in place, since there are still signs of active virus circulation in the area. He said some outbreaks that were detected outside of the DMA were successfully contained with no sign of outward spread of the disease. 'An abattoir in the Vryheid area in the DMA is in the process of being designated to slaughter animals from premises under FMD restrictions. A system has been put in place to assess the level of biosecurity on individual farms, with the intention of aligning the control measures to the biosecurity risks,' the minister explained. Mpumalanga Meanwhile, the minister said a single outbreak was reported on a single farm in the Gert Sibande Municipality in Mpumalanga, in April, which was identified as a trace forward from an auction in KZN. 'Following one round of targeted surveillance of surrounding farms, there are no signs that this outbreak spread to any adjacent farms or other linked locations. The department has started with the second round of surveillance,' the minister said. Gauteng In addition, in Gauteng, new FMD cases have been confirmed in the West Rand and East Rand. The minister noted that an outbreak at a feedlot and adjacent farm were found to be positive in the West Rand Municipality. Initially, the outbreak was linked to an auction in Heidelberg, however follow-up epidemiological investigation indicated a different infection source. 'Veterinary services are testing adjacent premises and linked locations to determine the origin of this outbreak and possible spread.' Additional cases were detected in communal cattle in the East Rand in May. Samples were collected and FMD infection was confirmed. Epidemiological investigations have commenced to identify and test all adjacent and linked locations. Suspension of beef imports The minister announced that the People's Republic of China has suspended imports of cloven-hoofed animals and related products from South Africa due to the spread of the outbreaks in KZN to Mpumalanga and Gauteng. 'Preliminary information obtained confirmed that this suspension includes only beef from South Africa to China. The good news is that the export of wool that complies with the protocol already agreed to has not been affected,' the minister said. He has also urged livestock owners and traders to take note of the incubation period of FMD. He reminded farmers that FMD has an incubation period of up to 14 days, during which animals can appear clinically healthy, before they start showing clinical signs generally associated with FMD. 'It is crucial that newly bought animals are kept separate from the resident herd for at least 28 days, even if a health attestation was issued for the animals. The health attestation and 28-day separation have been a legal requirement since October 2022.' Biosecurity Minister Steenhuisen emphasised the importance of national co-operation in halting the spread of FMD. 'Biosecurity is everybody's responsibility. The department urges all livestock farmers in the country to limit animal movement as far as possible. 'Auctioneers and livestock owners should be vigilant when buying cloven-hoofed animals from provinces in which there are active FMD outbreaks. No cloven-hoofed animals should be accepted from areas under restriction for FMD,' said the minister. – Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Eyewitness News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Steenhuisen says he stands by his comments that EFF should be kept out of power
CAPE TOWN - Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said he stands by everything he said during government's official visit to the White House last week, including that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) should be kept out of power. The remarks on Thursday prompted the EFF to call on the National Assembly to condemn Steenhuisen's utterances, saying it sounded as if Steenhuisen was putting out an international hit on its leader, Julius Malema. ALSO READ: We can't have EFF occupying Union Buildings, says Steenhuisen to Trump As the spat denigrated to below the belt comments, Steenhuisen hit back, saying the EFF's poor electoral performance in 2024's polls indicated that the party is removing itself from the country's political landscape. The EFF's Thapelo Mogale has slammed President Cyril Ramaphosa for not calling out Steenhuisen on his comments made about the EFF during their meeting with President Donald Trump. Steenhuisen was responding to a video played in the Oval Office of Malema chanting the struggle song, 'Kill the Boer'. 'His words are tantamount to calling on an international inkabi to eliminate political competition.' But in response, Steenhuisen repeated last week's remarks in Parliament that the EFF should not be allowed to reach the seat of power, calling it a party of chaos and corruption. 'I stand absolutely 100% by everything I said in the White House. That door must remain shut, and it must remain shut permanently. We don't need to call on foreign governments to get rid of the EFF, they are doing that all on their own.' The EFF's Sihle Lonzi then took a potshot at Steenhuisen's romantic past, but Steenhuisen was unmoved. 'I've learnt in politics long enough that the only people who worry about what goes on in other people's bedrooms, have nothing going on in their own.' The EFF said the United States has a history of interfering in the elections of foreign nations and Steenhuisen has opened the door to the same in South Africa.
IOL News
4 days ago
- Health
- IOL News
KZN foot-and-mouth disease outbreak persists while progress made in Eastern Cape, Limpopo
While foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks are under control in other provinces, KwaZulu-Natal remains a critical concern. Image: Ayanda Ndamane Independent Newspapers While foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks are under control in some South African provinces, in KwaZulu-Natal signs of active virus circulation persist. This is according to the national Department of Agriculture. 'The designated management area (DMA) in KwaZulu-Natal remains in place,' said Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, referring to the designated area still under restrictions. The department said to manage the outbreak more effectively, an abattoir in the Vryheid area is being designated to slaughter animals from restricted premises, and a system has been implemented to assess biosecurity levels on individual farms. 'The intention is to align the control measures with the biosecurity risks,' said Steenhuisen. The department said the biosecurity, traceability and record keeping of animals bought and sold at auctions and similar industries were raised as a specific concern and this will be addressed by the department in a directive due to be published. The department also announced that an order has been placed for much-needed vaccines to the value of R72 million. Meanwhile the department is preparing to lift movement restrictions in the Eastern Cape, where the Kouga and Kou-Kamma municipalities have been under a DMA since July 2024. A total of 144,424 vaccinations were administered, and with the last cases reported in September 2024, surveillance has confirmed the disease is no longer present. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Similarly, Limpopo's DMA, in place since September 2022, will also be lifted after two rounds of vaccination in the Vhembe Municipality. 'Two rounds of vaccination saw 23,024 vaccinations administered on cattle at 34 dip tanks, proving highly effective,' Steenhuisen said. In Mpumalanga, a single outbreak in Gert Sibande Municipality in April 2025 was traced to an auction in KZN. Surveillance of surrounding farms has not identified any further spread. A second round of testing is under way. New cases, however, have emerged in Gauteng. 'A feedlot and adjacent farm were found positive in the West Rand Municipality,' said Steenhuisen. In the East Rand, FMD was confirmed in communal cattle, and investigations are ongoing. China has since suspended imports of South African beef due to the outbreaks, although wool exports remain unaffected. 'Biosecurity is everybody's responsibility,' Steenhuisen cautioned, urging farmers to isolate newly bought animals for 28 days and report any suspicious symptoms to local State Veterinarians. THE MERCURY
The Herald
4 days ago
- Health
- The Herald
Agriculture department intensifies fight against foot-and-mouth disease
'T he procurement process has started and the next batch of vaccine s is estimated to be delivered by mid - June. This marks a crucial step forward in the d epartment's vaccination strategy.' The department had provisionally costed the vaccine requirements for the 2025/2026 financial year at R1. 2bn, with vaccines estimated at R100 per dose. A DMA has been in place in the Kouga and Kou - Kamma municipalities in the Eastern Cape s ince July 26 2024 to control FMD outbreaks. 'Through a robust vaccination campaign, 144,424 vaccinations were successfully administered.' With the last cases reported in September 2024 and extensive serological surveillance confirming no undetected pockets of the disease , Steenhuisen said the movement restrictions in the Eastern Cape DMA will be lifted soon. 'Similarly, restrictions on the DMA in Limpopo will be lifted. This DMA has been in place since September 2022 to control an outbreak in dip tanks in the Vhembe municipality,' he said. However, there were still signs of active virus circulation in KwaZulu-Natal and the DMA remained in place . 'Some outbreaks detected outside the DMA were successfully contained with no sign of outward spread of the disease.'
IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
DA's hypocrisy knows no bounds
DA leader John Steenhuisen interacts with US President Donald Trump and President Cyril Ramaphosa during a recent official visit to Washington. Image: The Presidency PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa may have to think twice before including DA leader John Steenhuisen in official visits after his poor performance characterised by political posturing during the heated Oval Office meeting in the US last week. Ahead of his visit to the US as part of Ramaphosa's delegation, Steenhuisen promised that the highest issues on his priority list would be securing trade relations between the US and SA, particularly in agriculture, to protect jobs, grow the economy and expand employment opportunities. 'This delegation to Washington DC represents all South Africans, who have entrusted us to put the shared national interests, and desire for economic growth and job creation first, ahead of any party, or ideological positions. As a proud member of this GNU delegation, I will endeavor to ensure every effort is made to mend, and improve relations between the US and SA.' When presented with a rare chance to do so, Steenhuisen bungled it spectacularly. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Instead of dispelling Trump's false narrative of white genocide in South Africa, he continued his party's tired claim that there were farm murders here, indirectly confirming the fake news that farmers were specifically targeted. How affirming would it have been for him to inform the world that Julius Malema's chants were nothing more than that; and quite frankly the courts have taken the position that they remain part of our painful history. But he would not dare say this because it would be against every effort his party had made to win back the Afrikaner vote from the Freedom Front Plus. Steenhuisen, with the help of his colleagues in the DA, just has to study the recent crime stats to see why his argument of farm murders is problematic. A breakdown of the stats shows that only six murders linked to farms were recorded in the first quarter of 2025, with five of the victims being black. Compare that with the murders taking place daily- not over three months- in Mitchells Plain, Manenberg, Nyanga, Inanda, Umlazi and Mamelodi, then you see why it's difficult arguing against criticism that Steenhuisen and the DA are hypocrites.
