John Steenhuisen’s big vaccine plan in question

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has announced a plan to vaccinate South Africa’s national herd of cattle against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).

This would require between 13.5 and 14 million vaccinations to protect against one of the most rampant outbreaks of the disease in decades. The minister aims to have roughly 2 million completed by February 2026.

While this plan may provide hope for the affected farmers, critics argue that vaccinating that many cattle is not feasible if done by the state.

Before Steenhuisen’s announcement, Sernick Group chairperson Nick Serfontein wrote an open letter to the minister highlighting the significant losses experienced by the industry in 2025 and the government’s lack of communication with farmers.

He explained that the industry had lost roughly R1.5 billion in export markets in 2025 alone and expressed frustration regarding the task team appointed by the government, which he says has yet to share its plans and targets with farmers.

“The 30-member task team to address the foot-and-mouth situation was formed in July 2025,” he wrote.

“It is now four months later, and no one can confirm that there is a concrete plan on the table with objectives and target dates.”

“We cannot leave our future in the hands of veterinarians and scientists (with respect to both) and a bureaucracy that bullies us,” he added.

When asked in a panel discussion on In Gesprek whether Steenhuisen’s plan, announced shortly after his letter, was realistic, Serfontein said it was a brave decision, but he “doesn’t think it’s going to happen.”

He says this is because, to implement the plan, the country’s vaccination policy will need to change, something that Steenhuisen has announced.

Up until now, South Africa’s policy towards FMD outbreaks has been to cull those infected and implement quarantine measures without routine vaccination.

This has allowed the country to apply to the World Organisation for Animal Health for FMD-free status without vaccination. Vaccinating the entire herd will mean South Africa will need to apply for FMD-free status with vaccination.

“If the policy changes, then the regulations will need to change,” Serfontein said. “Who is going to let these regulations happen? The civil servants? This cannot happen through the state.”

“If it’s going to happen, then it needs to be done by the private sector. But there aren’t any vaccines.”

The state’s lack of capacity

Dr Danie Odendaal, director of the Veterinary Network, said that South Africa recently developed a new FMD vaccine, which is currently in the hands of the state. However, South Africa lacks the capacity to manufacture it.

That is, the state lacks the capacity.

According to Dr Theo de Jager, who is the chairperson of the agricultural interest network Saai, the only way the country is going to overcome this hurdle is if the private sector takes charge of production.

“One of the wisest things that the minister has done is put together a task team of the best veterinarians, scientists, and farmers in the country,” he said.

“However, the department has not accepted a single one of the team’s recommendations. Everything gets blocked. And that is why we are where we are today.”

“Our problem has names, surnames, and positions in the department.”

Odendaal, a member of the task team, echoed De Jager’s sentiment. He said that the team comprises everyone who needs to be there. However, the Director of Animal Health refuses to listen to their recommendations.

Newsday has reached out to the Department of Agriculture for comment.

As for Steenhuisen’s plan, he says that the initial phase will be a risk analysis of the most affected industries and areas.

“We’re not going to do everything at the same time. We don’t have a chance, and there aren’t enough vaccinations.”

In his announcement, Steenhuisen said the most affected areas would include KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, and North West.

Odendaal said that vaccinations will start where production has been most affected, and that the plan is on the table, just needing to be signed off and shared with the industry.

To ensure consistent access to high-quality vaccines, Steenhuisen stated that the government is working closely with Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) on formalising public-private partnerships.

The minister stated that a new mid-scale vaccine production facility is being established to reduce the country’s dependence on vaccine imports.

However, he emphasised that the success of the plan not only depends on vaccines but also on law enforcement.

“Despite the vaccination of 931,200 animals with government-procured vaccine stocks over the last three months, uncontrolled animal movement continues to undermine containment efforts and prolong the crisis,” he said.