KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development  Responds to Criticism Over Foot-and-Mouth Disease Management

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued a formal response to recent public statements by Sakhile Mngadi, defending the provincial government’s handling of the ongoing Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak and rejecting allegations of inaction.

The statement comes after Mngadi, a member of the Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal, criticized the provincial leadership for failing to declare a Provincial State of Disaster.

MEC Rejects “Attention-Seeking” Claims

KZN MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa said the remarks were misleading and lacked an understanding of legislative processes governing disaster declarations.

According to the department, Mngadi’s statement incorrectly assumes that either the MEC or the Premier has the authority to declare a State of Disaster.

The department clarified that, in terms of national legislation, disaster classification authority rests with the National Disaster Management Centre, which operates under the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

Officials emphasized that provincial leadership may only recommend such classification after receiving detailed reports on the scale and severity of an outbreak.

Provincial Leadership “Acted Within Its Mandate”

The department stated that Premier Thami Ntuli and MEC Madlopha-Mthethwa had already submitted recommendations and coordinated response efforts after receiving reports confirming the spread of FMD across all districts, affecting dairy farms, feedlots, communal areas, and commercial livestock operations.

It added that the provincial government had also convened media briefings and launched coordinated district-level interventions to raise awareness and strengthen compliance with biosecurity measures.

Officials noted that the current Government of Provincial Unity administration assumed office in mid-2024 when the outbreak was already underway, but intensified response measures through public engagement initiatives including izimbizo, community meetings, and multi-platform media campaigns aimed at discouraging illegal animal movement.

Criticism Over “Selective Political Framing”

The department further criticized Mngadi for what it described as selective political framing—questioning why he had praised national-level disaster processes while simultaneously attributing authority to provincial structures that do not legally hold such powers.

The statement reiterated that both provincial and national stakeholders are working collaboratively to contain the outbreak and accelerate vaccine distribution once procurement processes are finalized.

Vaccine Rollout Remains Priority

MEC Madlopha-Mthethwa reaffirmed the department’s commitment to securing Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccines, with initial distribution planned for high-risk areas before expanding to the broader provincial cattle population.

“The department remains fully focused on protecting farmers and stabilising livestock production across the province,” the statement said.

Issued by: KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development