Cape Town: Cabinet has welcomed the swift response by the Department of Agriculture following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) that has mostly affected KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng. ‘Despite the warnings that were issued, FMD was imported into Gauteng as people continued to move livestock to the province of Gauteng,’ Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Thursday in Cape Town.

According to South African Government News Agency, the department has ordered over 900,000 doses of vaccines, with the first batch expected to arrive soon. All infected properties are placed under quarantine, and no movement is allowed into, out of, or through these areas or farms. Large areas, where individuals cannot be served with quarantine notices, are declared Disease Management Areas, and the same restrictions apply.

In addition, plans are underway to establish a biosecurity council that will bring together the South African Police Service (SAPS), veterinarians, scientists, the Border Management Authority, and captains of industry to better respond to future outbreaks and manage the related risks, Ntshavheni said.