Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism
Question by:
Hon Noko Masipa
Answered by:
Hon Ivan Meyer
Question Number:
26
Question Body:
With regard to the rollout of the Foot-and-mouth Disease Vaccination Programme in the province:
(a) (i) How many animals have been vaccinated to date and (ii) what percentage of the targeted livestock population does this represent, (b) what challenges, if any, have been encountered in the implementation of the vaccination programme and (c) what measures are in place to ensure the (i) timely completion and (ii) effectiveness of the vaccination campaign?
Answer Body:
- (i) 71 367 have been vaccinated as at 13 March 2026
(ii) The above represent 12 % of the targeted livestock population.
- The challenges include the following:
- Timeous access to FMD vaccines,
- Lack of stringent Movement Control Regulations
- Illegal livestock transportation and non-compliance with permits.
- Poor enforcement of municipal by laws
- Livestock in commonage areas/informal areas
- Lack of pounding facilities
(c) (i) Onboarding of Private Veterinarians to assist with vaccinating uninfected herds and Recruitment of 20 extra Animal Health Technicians on contract basis
- a. Applying risk-based targeting of high-risk areas, use of vaccines that match the circulating virus strains, and maintaining strict cold-chain handling to preserve vaccine potency.
- Aiming at high coverage of susceptible livestock (ideally ≥80%)
- Integrating vaccination with surveillance, movement controls, biosecurity measures, and post-vaccination monitoring
Date:
Friday, March 6, 2026
